Sunday 16th June
Read Matthew 6:24
“‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (NIVUK)
The temptation to believe that we can serve two masters is great and throughout history many, many folk have thought the dichotomy is too extreme. Jesus can’t possibly mean what he says. Perhaps this belief in compromise arises because today it is the experience of many to work for two employers without difficulty. In context though, Jesus is referring to slaves. A slave quite literally can’t be owned by two masters. Slavery is in essence full-time and compete devotion. Whose commands will he follow and when?
Jesus argues the same applies to God. He also demands full-time, unswerving devotion. To pursue wealth and material things, by default, is to not follow God. It is a bold claim based on the worth of that which you worship. God is of inestimable worth compared with the worthlessness of material things. Yet people choose to worship wealth regularly, blind to the worth of the One in heaven. Spend time praying that eyes would be opened and hearts transformed such the worthiness and wonder of God is recognised.
