The Parable of the Fourth Steward

by Chris Evans

I recently got an email from Harris, a friend in whose company I’d invested.  After several years of striving mightily to make the venture succeed, he was sharing the news that it had failed.  I was naturally disappointed the investment didn’t pan out, but what really hit me was how hard Harris was taking it.  He was a mature and committed Christian who tried to run the business on Godly principles, but it failed.  I could sense him questioning if he somehow had disappointed God.  With 2/3 of Angel investments ending in a loss, there are probably many faith-driven entrepreneurs who have had to ask this question.  It doesn’t help that in one of Jesus’ most famous parables, the Parable of the Three Stewards, the entrepreneurs in the story are both successful.  I wish sometimes he’d included a fourth steward in this story.   

The parable starts like this: 

“… For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. 

It’s clear at this point that the Master only invested in his own servants -- people he knew well.  Often times investors start by taking investments from friends and family.  While it hurts to disappoint any investor, often those who trusted you first and know you longest hurt the most.  Also note that the master invested at different levels with different servants. The first received five times what the third did.   Jesus continues…

“Immediately the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. In the same way, the man with two earned two more. But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. “

Here it’s clear that Jesus respects hard work and initiative.  The first two stewards got to work “immediately”, wanting to show how much they valued the master’s trust in them and eager to show that trust was warranted. 

“After a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five talents approached presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’ “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’ 

So far, so good.  Note that the master seemed just as happy with each servant – both will be put in charge of “many things” going forward.  The last servant, however, had a different approach and got a very different response:

“The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned. “ ‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. Matthew 25:14–29 (CSB)

The last servant didn’t lose his masters money, but did almost nothing with it.  He literally buried it in the ground!  The master calls him evil and lazy.  He’s not so much angry at the return as the lack of effort, imagination, and faith on the servant’s part. 

As an entrepreneur, I love the story of an investor giving servants funds and later praising them for their return on investment, but what about those who try their best to make a return but fail?  Imagine this fourth servant in Jesus Parable that the master gave three talents to:

“… Immediately the man with three talents investing in goods that he shipped to far-away lands growing the investment to thirty talents.”

While the first two servants generated respectable Return on Investment (200%); given a “long-time”  you could probably generate a much higher ROI if you were willing to invest in a riskier enterprise.  However, with greater risk comes a greater chance of failure and in my modified parable the fourth servant learns this the hard way… 

The man was excited to share his results with his master, but then he got word that a storm had sunk all of his ships and his entire investment had been lost.  Right after that, he was told that the master had returned to settle accounts with his servants. 

After the master’s scene with the first three servants, imaging this interaction:

… Then the man with three talents also approached. He said, Master you gave me three talents.  I grew it to thirty talents through shrewd trading but see, all was lost when a storm wrecked the ships carrying the treasure I earned and I have nothing to return to you.”

How do you think the master would respond to this servant? Would he praise him like he did the first two servants, or rebuke him as he did the last?  Failure is a part of entrepreneurship and investing.  We can try our best to avoid failure, but there are always factors and events beyond our control that can wreck our venture (or, for that matter, make them wildly successful).  

I believe Jesus would have had the master say “Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.“.   That’s because Jesus’ parable wasn’t really about return on investment, it was about faith.  The difference between the servants that pleased their master and the one that earned the rebuke was that the first two acted on faith, risking what was given to them so that they could put it to work and show their master the fruit of their efforts. The third servant was so afraid of making a mistake and displeasing his master that he had nothing to show for his opportunity – based on Jesus comment about the bankers, even if he’d invested his talent in one of the other servants he would have been praised.  

Faith is so important that when Jesus’ disciples asked him (Jn 6:28-29) “What must we do to be doing the works of God”, Jesus answered, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent”.  Jesus isn’t really concerned with the quality or quantity of the treasure you are able to bring him – after all he created the treasure in the first place.  What he really wants to know is “did you think, speak, and act like you completely believe that I am who I say I am?”.  The third servant was paralyzed by a fear of failure but what he didn’t see was that the only way he could fail was by being paralyzed by fear – God wanted to see him show faith and take risks. 

This is also reflected in Hebrews (11:6) “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” The writer then goes on in the rest of chapter 11 to list out those who demonstrate the kind of faith God is looking for.   

So whether you are an entrepreneur launching a company you hope will honor God, an investor hoping God will be pleased with how you use the wealth you’ve been given, ask yourself if you are reflecting your belief in Jesus in your efforts and you can look forward to hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant” regardless of how well your ventures or investments do.  As I wrestle with this question, I try to look past the financial investments I make and also look at how I invest my time in people, being willing to take risks relationally as well as financially and expecting to settle accounts someday with the master who gave me all my days to invest.  

If you are a faith-driven investor, there will be times when you get news as I did from Harris.  While it may be disappointing, if you believe they were faithful and did all they could to make the investment succeed, give encouragement to such faithful entrepreneurs.  This is what I did for Harris. Take time to thank them for all they did to try to make the venture succeed, while reminding them (and yourself) that it is natural and common for new ventures to fail. There is no shame in that sort of failed venture. If you are a faith-driven entrepreneur whose enterprise has come to an end, reassure yourself that, as Phillip Yancy wrote in What’s So Amazing About Grace, there is nothing you can do to make God love you more and nothing you can do to make Him love you less.  If you were not afraid to trust Him in your venture, then you’ve profited from the experience and will be that much more prepared should you choose to start another venture later.  After all,  the master said “You have been faithful over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.”