Who will you serve?

"No one can serve two masters; for either he/she will hate the one and love the other, or he/she will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and mammon (riches, wealth)."  Matthew 6:24


You cannot serve both.
Make no mistake.  It is impossible.
Some who claim to be believers in Jesus also claim to be believers in limitless gain, both for themselves and on a corporate or societal level.
Some who claim to love God with all that they have, also love wealth or the hope to attain wealth with all that they have, while shunning their love for neighbor (Jesus defines as enemy, stranger - Lk. 10).

If we try, we end up either hating wealth because of all the evil that greed does to our neighbors, out of our love for Jesus and neighbor, or we hate Jesus' message and example because we love the idea of being wealthy so much that it puts us at odds with His Agape Love teachings for "the least".  We most probably end up ignoring Jesus' teachings while claiming the power of His name, which is a lie, when we embrace the pursuit of limitless wealth.  That is a lie with regard to our love and devotion.

Where is our devotion?  To what or whom are we devoted?  Is it to Jesus as Lord, who teaches and exemplifies a different treasure than earthly wealth (Luke 16:10-13), or is it to having wealth and the pursuit of it?  If I am devoted to wealth and live a life based on my greed and always having more, I will despise Jesus, who teaches that "a person's life does not consist in the abundance of his/her possessions." (Luke 12:13-21)  If I am devoted to Jesus, I will despise the insidious nature of greed and how it is imbedded into economic systems that keep some of those whom God loves down, while others gain more on their backs.

We cannot have it both ways.
Many believe they can, but their lives are a lie of one sort or another.  To love Jesus is to love the teachings and examples of Jesus.  To love Jesus is to love neighbor as self, and no more want to see neighbor be hurt or go without than one would want to see that for one's self.  To love Jesus means that our values are very different from those of selfish greed.  It means that we consider the needs of others before our own desires beyond having what we need.  That goes against the love of wealth.

We cannot serve two masters.
Make no mistake.  If we love even the idea of having wealth, we do not use it or manipulate it to get what we want.  It owns us.  Ignoring what we DO have as being enough, the mind and heart of greed has at its very core the desire always to have MORE or have IT ALL.  No matter what one has then, there is no satisfaction with having enough, and no thankfulness for it as being enough or trust in God who provides enough.  One will pursue through whatever means possible, even on the backs of the poor and vulnerable, having more for himself/herself.  That goes against Jesus' Agape Love.

To whom or to what are YOU devoted?  Jesus or wealth/riches?
What or who do YOU love with all your heart, soul, mind and strength: Jesus or wealth?

So, in your lifestyle and in your outlook toward others in society, in your view of politics and economics, and in your decisions on how you use your time, abilities and possessions and in your voting.  Who will YOU serve?  "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Pastor Jamie