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Serving two masters is impossible

You are probably familiar with the saying of Jesus: “You cannot serve God and Mammon (money)”. He also said “No one can serve two masters” because you will “love one and hate the other”. Jesus associated all this with being too concerned about what we are to eat, drink and wear.

Brian Melbourne

You are probably familiar with the saying of Jesus: “You cannot serve God and Mammon (money)”. He also said “No one can serve two masters” because you will “love one and hate the other”. Jesus associated all this with being too concerned about what we are to eat, drink and wear. According to Jesus, “These are things that occupy the minds of the heathen”. Well, I guess I would have to count myself among the ranks of the heathen, because a few years ago in England I found myself in the situation where I was preaching on Sunday, and working as a professional driver and chauffeur during the week, because I was worried about what I was going to eat. The clothing was showing signs of wear, but serviceable. I was serving two masters, and our Lord was right in saying I would hate the one and love the other. I hated it when I had to drag myself away from ministry to drive somebody to an airport, although a number of my fare-paying passengers became a captive audience as I shared some of my religious thoughts during the journey. I never had any complaints, and one of these occasions led to my being invited to visit Minnesota from England, all expenses paid, as guest preacher at St. Stephen’s, Edina near Minneapolis. So, what about our Lord’s assertion that it is the heathen that worry about what they will eat, drink and wear? If this criticism were addressed to the rich person who was obsessed with eating fine food, drinking good wine and wearing the latest fashion, the point is well made, but surely it is the poor who usually worry about where the next meal is coming from, and about being warm enough - especially in a Canadian winter! There are people in this region who have these sorts of concerns. Does this make them heathen?

It is sometimes dangerous to take a particular saying from the Bible without trying to find out the real intention of the speaker, in this case, our Lord. It is important to see what else he may have said on the same topic. We should remember our Lord’s concern for the poor, and how he expected us to provide for them: “when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, when naked you clothed me” (Matthew 25). Bearing in mind also Jesus’ teaching that “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven”, the message clearly applies to those who lead fairly comfortable lives, which is likely you and me. We should be more content with what we have, and thankful for what we have. Material possessions, food and drink, should not be an obsession. Money or Mammon should not be our master. We should be putting our prayers for the poor into action, by direct assistance, and by supporting both local and overseas projects that provide food, clothing and shelter. How about donating half the money you might spend on Bingo or lottery tickets? You are unlikely to win the lottery, but you would definitely make a difference to lives of the poor.