Stewarding Time, Talent and Treasure

Stewarding Time, Talent, and Treasure

Mark 10:17–31

10/17/26

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

I had a friend in college who started a job at Lowe's and within a few weeks he received the prestigious Employee of the Month award. It was a bit unusual for the award to go to someone who was so new at the job, but the management could not deny the glowing reports they were receiving about him.

When he shared the good news with me and our other friends, our first thought was not to high-five him and celebrate, but rather a collective, “How would Mike get an Employee of the Month award?” He was not the most motivated go-getter, and it is not like he was super excited about Lowe's.

We began to ask questions. It turned out that Mike’s training had some deficiencies, and it frequently left him in a position of not knowing what to do in the checkout line. Mike got nervous when this happened, and he hated making customers wait because they would get mad. So his solution was not to look out for the company, but to pacify customers so they would like him. This meant that whenever there was a problem at checkout, he would cancel the order and tell people they could simply have the item. He was giving away merchandise. When we asked how much he had given away, he simply replied, “A good bit.”

He did not have a lot of connection or investment in the company, so when training didn't improve and he began to feel uneasy about his rapid ascent up the corporate ladder, he quit and his career took a turn. He actually ended up in ministry! That is another story.

He was hired to be a steward of the company’s resources, to make sure the interests of the company were being furthered. But he, like many other college students, was only interested in what the company could do for him. He was not interested in the long term, but only the short term.

We have laid out our marks of a disciple—what a follower of Jesus does. One of those marks is being a steward. A steward manages another's property, finances, or affairs with the interest of the owner in mind. If Christians are stewards, it means we acknowledge all we have is from the Lord, and we are to steward his gifts and blessings according to his interests. That leads to our eternal well-being.

This passage today gives a negative example of stewardship. It is negative in that the person doesn't do the right thing. We can learn a great deal from positive examples, and we can learn a great deal from negative examples. What we see here is that if we fail to entrust the stewardship of our possessions to Jesus, it is essentially rejecting the call to be his disciples.

An Issue of Eternal Significance

In this passage, a man runs up to Jesus and asks him what is required to inherit eternal life. Ever asked that question? It’s a big question and one that you want to have an answer for.

17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Before answering the man's question, Jesus makes a comment about his statement of being a "good teacher." It was not customary to address people as "Good ______." It seems to be an exceptional greeting. Even Jesus notes the elevated value the man shows to him. Jesus tells him only God is good—a statement pregnant with significance.

The reason for the question might possibly be that he has heard Jesus speak before. Most Jews would have had no doubts about what to do to inherit eternal life: observe the law. That was their hard and fast conviction, but the man had probably heard about Jesus’ teaching that mere obedience to the law was not enough (Mark 2:13–17, 7:1–23).

In response, Jesus calls his attention to the law of God. You know the commandments. You know the commandments and you know the requirements.

19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ”

Surprisingly, the man hears Jesus and responds, "I have kept all of them." He is in line and on track. Mission accomplished.

20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”

We know better, hopefully. Is this a response of ignorance regarding God’s commands, or ignorance due to a lack of self-awareness? Sometimes we can be so blinded by our own pride that we simply do not see our own sin. Or perhaps it is a straight-up lie; he says he has done them all, but his guilty conscience weighs on him like everyone else.

Getting to the Root of the Problem

21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Jesus looks at him, loves him, and speaks a word of rebuke to him. This man is in error—no one knows it more clearly and fully than Jesus—and yet he looks at him with love and compassion. Amazing! Here is someone who presumably has read his word and gone to church, yet is as lost as a goose on what it means. There was a sincerity and earnestness about this young man that moved the heart of our Lord.

Jesus' assessment: "You lack one thing. You have fallen short. You are inadequate." But it’s just one thing. Is that all? Great! One thing can be quickly remedied. If he had said 100 or 1,000 things, you might feel it is completely out of reach. But Jesus tells him one thing.

Jesus has a way of grabbing the weed and making sure the roots come up with it. If you are weeding, you don’t just want to pull the leaves off. The best way is to make sure you get the whole thing. And sometimes those roots are bigger than the weed. This little “one-thing weed” has some massive roots.

21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Jesus tells him to go, sell all he has, and give to the poor. That is all he needs for eternal life.

But instead of rejoicing, the man leaves sad and disheartened. The word there is used of a gloomy cloud moving in. It is ironic.

Now think through this. If what Jesus said is true, then what a deal! What a trade! I give all this and I have eternal life.

I just read the book of Kings, and in it, a Syrian general named Naaman contracts leprosy. He comes to Elisha for healing. Elisha tells him to go and wash in the Jordan River and he will be healed. Naaman hears this and gets mad. "What? I came all this way and this is what you say to me?!" But then his servant says, "But sir, if that is what it takes, then good. Go and do it!" Naaman comes to his senses, goes and washes, and he is healed!

Jesus gives this young man a definitive answer and a clear path, but strikingly, the man leaves sorrowful and unwilling to part with his stuff.

What is going on here? Jesus calls the man on the Ten Commandments. Jesus first talked to him about commandments 6–10: don’t murder, don't commit adultery, don't give false testimony, honor father and mother. The man says, "I have done all of that." The man says he has never lied, never coveted, and always honored his parents. He says he has done this since he was a boy.

Jesus tells him to go and sell all and give to the poor, and he refuses. What it reveals is that there is more to the story. He will not do what Jesus said. The reason for that is he has not kept the first command. He has another god. He has an idol.

He would rather have his earthly possessions than be with God for eternity without them. That is a major slight to God and a major mistake of priorities.

Tim Keller put it best:

“When Jesus called this young man to give up his money, the man started to grieve, because money was for him what the Father was for Jesus. It was the center of his identity. To lose his money would have been to lose himself” (Tim Keller, King’s Cross, 132).

The one thing the man lacked was devotion to God. Had this man truly trusted in the goodness of God (v. 18), he would have welcomed Jesus’ command as God’s best for him. The man fails to follow Jesus because his true god is his possessions.

• The man encounters the Savior of the world but rejects his advice.

• He receives new insights but maintains old habits.

• New concepts, but the same commitment level.

• Received revelation, but no transformation.

• He saw the light of the world but remained in darkness.

Jesus sees this and says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.

People have tried to explain that verse away, stating there was a mountain pass called the "Eye of the Needle," etc., but I think those explanations fall short. It’s an exaggeration. People hope to bring all their stuff to heaven with them, and that can no more happen than a camel going through the eye of a needle. Those who have so much stuff fail to look like their Lord, who gave up all possessions.

The command to “sell everything” should not be universalized and applied literally to every professing Christian. Jesus is using it to get at the heart of this man. But the importance of the command also should not be ignored. The call is not simply a call to poverty but to discipleship, and while discipleship takes many forms, it is always costly. Jesus highlights the various costs that his disciples will pay involving relatives, parents, children, houses, lands, possessions, and so much more.

You know, Jesus just might ask you to do some things that reveal your idols. He might force your hand a bit. If this leads to dark times, it might be that he is trying to uncover what you truly worship.

Charles Spurgeon once said:

“There is nothing more miserable than a half-hearted Christian, who knows enough about religion to spoil his enjoyment of the world, but not enough to enjoy the things of God.”

Jesus himself will lay down his life. The first sentence of this passage says Jesus is on his way. He is on his way to Jerusalem where he will lay down his life for sinners. He will sacrifice it all to the Lord. Jesus calls his followers to do the same.

True Rewards

We all love rewards. Get your rewards points on your credit card. Make sure you are being wise in your financial investments. Jesus says when you follow him, you will be blessed now and into eternity. There is a cost to following him. It might cost you your house, family, brother, or sister. But he says you will receive a hundredfold now and also in the life to come.

Note: He also includes persecutions as one of his benefits. I'll let you wrestle with that on your own.

29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life."

The promise here is that obedience to Jesus is more valuable than all the money in the world. Following him provides something money cannot buy. It can be hard to articulate.

Hudson Taylor understood this, because at the end of his 50 years of missionary labor in China he said, “I never made a sacrifice.” (Piper, “Missions”)

The presence of Jesus is greater than the possessions of the world. You are living for what matters. You have a focus on the truly important. You depend on him and walk with him.

This man has a stronghold in his life that keeps him from enjoying the blessings of God. He is one who is content to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul, and that is a terrible investment.

Don’t miss this: Jesus offers a rebellious commandment-breaker eternal life. He does not call them to perfection, but he does call them to surrender to him.

If we are going to receive the blessing of Jesus and heed the call to discipleship, it is going to require us to be faithful and believe in him. And that belief will lead us to steward our Time, Talent, and Treasure.

Treasure

This passage is about treasure. A man won’t give up his possessions to follow Jesus. It is the power and allure of a false god attempting to provide for us and fill us with life. You will not find that in money.

Jesus taught more on money than almost any other topic. Jesus had no home to lay his head. Why would he teach on money? Because it captures people's hearts.

Money is the god most worshipped in our culture today. I think part of our culture's knock on the church—saying churches only care about money—while true in some situations, is also reflective of people’s deep idolatry of money and their refusal to surrender it to God. They criticize the church because they will not surrender their idol.

Read the Bible and you see many calls and commands to honor God with your treasure, with your income. Tithes and offerings. Giving ten percent of your income (Lev 27:30, Mal 3:10). In the New Testament, we see a poor widow who gave 100% (Luke 21:1) and a rich man, Zacchaeus, who gave 50% (Luke 19:8).

Reflect on your faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God’s commands. What does it say about your devotion to him? Who are you willing to disappoint? If you have a pattern of neglecting his commands in this area, what is at the root, and where might it be preventing you from experiencing the blessing of Jesus?

If I gave you a million dollars, how would you steward that? What is your first priority? Some say the first 10% goes to the Lord, 15% to savings, and have fun with the rest. That's a great mentality. How do you plan to spend what the Lord provides for you this week?

Time

You may know the saying, "The scale doesn't lie." I might think I am doing a good job of avoiding the dessert menu, but when I get on the scale, it will tell the truth. I might think I am doing a good job working out. But when it comes time to max out and I put on the same weight I did before working out, it reveals how hard I am actually hitting the gym. A couple of things that don't lie: your bank account and your calendar. What are you committed to?

Let me give you another gift. This week you get 168 hours. How will you use those? Some people tithe their time—about 17 hours. Church, Bible study, spiritual nourishment, rest, and daily devotions. This exact formula isn't from Sinai, but consider: what amount of your time are you investing in following Jesus?

How are you stewarding your time for the Lord? In order to follow Jesus, you have to take time to do the things he calls you to do. Being in Christian community, reading the Bible with others, and being a part of a church are considered optional by most people today.

Surrender to Jesus means we follow him. We care more about knowing him than advancing in the world. If we don't have time, then what does that say about our priorities? Is there anything more important than following and obeying Jesus?

Talent

Talent refers to the particular abilities and gifts you have. A talent for singing, throwing a football, computer programming, or engineering. The Bible also speaks of spiritual gifts such as leadership, administration, serving, giving, exhorting, teaching, mercy, prophecy, and healing (Rom 12:7–8, 1 Cor 12). These are all spiritual gifts.

We are to steward these gifts for God’s purposes. God doesn't need these gifts to survive; he is not trying to punish us by making us serve him. This stewardship should bring joy and purpose to all of life. Our happiness is not dependent on more stuff or a better position. It is found in knowing and walking with him.

This is where we need to look at the local church. Jesus' mission to reach the world is achieved by developing local churches where people are giving their time, talent, and treasure to further the kingdom. It is costly. It is rewarding. It is the place of discipleship and growth.

Don't over-spiritualize your walk with Christ into a "spiritual but not religious" mindset. People can stay comfortable with Jesus while not remaining committed to Jesus. He calls you to tangible actions.

• When people are in need, someone might just say, "I will pray for you," without helping.

• People say they are all in for Jesus but are not a part of a church. If you don't do church, then you don't fully practice Christianity.

Your commitment or lack of commitment to a local church is highly indicative of your commitment to Christ.

God gives you gifts. He gives you passions and desires. These are to be used for his glory. But one of the other key elements of this is being connected to the body of Christ. It presents opportunities to serve and to disciple. It is a tangible and concrete place to give away your life to help others.

This touches all of life.

I want to encourage you to think through the time, talent, and treasure God gives to you and ask yourself: What does my stewardship of these say about my commitment to Jesus? Is he first, or is he something else? The most important decision of your life is whether you will submit your life to Jesus.

Secondly, I want to ask you to consider investing in the local church, and specifically here at Radiant. Our goal is to raise up a community of people who are putting Jesus first.

We are getting things aligned at the church. We have a plan that, if we execute it, I believe will allow us to reach people and move forward as a church. But we need people investing their time, talent, and resources into it.

Our goal is not simply for you to give your tithe to the church, but to give your whole heart to Jesus.

Discussion Questions

1. What are some things people today are most tempted to place ahead of obedience to Christ? How can you recognize when a good thing has become an idol?

2. Looking at your time, talents, and treasure, which area is easiest for you to surrender to the Lord, and which area is hardest? What might that reveal about your priorities or trust in God?

3. Jesus promised that following him would be costly, but also deeply rewarding. How have you personally experienced blessing, growth, purpose, or community through serving Christ and investing in the local church?

4. Where might God be calling you to take a deeper step of commitment?