The king summoned his two stewards and gave them an assignment.
The Parable of “The King and Two Stewards”
The king summoned his two stewards and gave them an assignment, saying: “We have won every war, we have had years of abundant harvests, and we have more than enough of everything. Therefore, I desire to show mercy to all the people in my kingdom and treat them to a royal feast. Go and do whatever you think is right so that each of my people may receive their share.”
The first steward went and sent messengers throughout the kingdom to invite everyone to the palace, where a royal dinner would be served for them that evening. He also instructed the messengers to say that there would be so much food that they could eat as much as they wished. After that, he ordered the cooks to begin preparing a feast for a large number of people.
The other steward acted differently. Early in the morning, he brought a sufficient amount of food to the city’s main square and began giving it to everyone he saw there, saying: “The king is good, and he is treating you to lunch.” When people took their share, he called after them, “If you see anyone else, tell them that I am waiting for them here in the square. Let them come and take their share.”
In the evening, the king’s attendants came and reported to him how the stewards had carried out the assignment. Few people came to the palace for dinner, but in the main square, people crowded together from morning until midnight.
The next day, the king summoned the stewards to give an account. The first steward was very dissatisfied with what had happened. He deeply regretted it and complained about the people because they had not wanted to come to dinner, and as a result, much of the food had gone to waste. The second steward, on the other hand, was very happy that many people had eaten, all the food had been distributed, and nothing had gone to waste.
The king praised the second steward for acting wisely, gave him his ring, and appointed him chief steward in the kingdom.
Author: Dmitriy Leo
