Oikonomos, the Chief of Staff

In ancient cultures, Oikonomos (coming from oikos, “a house,” and nomos, “law”) was a person of high qualification, someone second only to the master (kurios) of the house. Joseph is an excellent example of such a position (although the Septuagint doesn’t call him oikonomos). When his master’s wife enticed him, he said, “No one in this house is greater than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife” (Gen 39:9). Joseph had absolute control over his master’s house and wealth, and he wasn’t going to abuse it at any cost. Paul considered himself an oikonomos in God’s house, especially the Corinthians. He said, “People should consider us as operators of Christ and oikonomos of God’s mystery” (1 Cor 4:1). In Galatians, he reinforced this theme when he said that an heir, if s/he was a child, was under the rule of the oikonomos; s/he wasn’t a master yet (4:2). In America, the White House Chief of Staff played an equal role. So, for this lesson, I will translate oikonomos as “the Chief of Staff” or COS.

While the Lord talked about servants and their roles, Peter asked if Jesus talked about him and his fellow apostles.

“Lord (kurios), are you saying these parables to us? (Luke 12:41)

He wanted to know where in the hierarchy of servanthood he and the other apostles fell. Jesus replied,

“Anyone whom the Lord (kurios) appoints as a faithful and wise Chief of Staff (oikonomos) over his healers to give them grain allowances at the right time – that servant is blessed, especially when the master (kurios) comes and finds that s/he has done everything as instructed. Sincerely, I tell you: the master has placed all his possessions under his/her care.” (12:42–44)

One of the tasks of the oikonomos (Chief of Staff) was to carefully divide the master’s land among harvesters and his wealth among the “healers” – who took care of various needs of their fellow servants (they were like the priests, who didn’t work but lived off what people provided them). The Chiefs of Staff had significant responsibilities to be fair and benevolent with their master’s wealth. If they acted responsibly, they would be blessed and rewarded when the master returned from his journey and saw them acting honorably and justly.

On the other hand,

“If that servant [notice: he demoted from an oikonomos to a mere servant, doulos] says in his/her heart, ‘My master is tarrying,’ and begins to beat the male servants and female servants, eats, drinks, and gets drunk. When the master (kurios) of that servant (again, not oikonomos) comes, in that hour he did not expect or know, will he not demote him and place him among the unbelievers?” (12:45–46)

Masters expected their Chiefs of Staff to act professionally, which reflected the master. When they came and found that they didn’t act as such but instead hurt their fellow servants, ate their food, drank their drinks, and got drunk at work, wouldn’t the masters be so upset that they would demote them to someone much lower than a basic servant – a foreign worker (a migrant worker) – with no rights? The same would be true of Peter and the apostles if they didn’t value their role as oikonomos in God’s house and treat fellow workers with care.

They understood what Jesus demanded of them and behaved righteously, as seen in Acts. If we see ourselves as leaders, we have a high call to be noble.