Luke 16:13

13          No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despite the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

You Have Heard It Said…

Exodus 20:4   “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth.

Exodus 20:5   You shall not worship them nor serve them.

The Mosaic Law says to not make, worship, or serve any idols or likenesses. Jesus is highlighting the idol that is our wealth. Our wealth is something that can dominate our minds, decisions, and energy as it is something we are always told to achieve. Yet, Jesus knows we cannot follow our wealth AND follow God. We will hate one and love the other. We will follow one and despise the others. We cannot follow the desires of God and wealth at the same time.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How does Jesus’ teaching here align with the original commandment in Exodus 20:4-5a?

The Duality of Life

In the cultural context of the first century, a servant was completely devoted to their master. They could not share their allegiance with someone or something else. To serve in this capacity means to be completely submissive and obedient. The language of “hate” and “love” comes from a Jewish expression that shows preferences and priority instead of emotional extremes. To “hate” means to choose against something or reject it in favor of something else. This is always a focus of choosing God over choosing worldly pursuits.

Devotion describes a deep unwavering commitment. Despite shows disregard and devaluation. Staying devoted to God requires us to break the things that we have loyalties to elsewise. Money is the Aramaic word “mammon” which encompasses wealth and material possessions. This is a direct challenge to the idolatry of wealth. The Bible warns against materialism, where it even says that the “love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim 6:10). Overall, we are called to prioritize our relationship with God over the pursuits of earthly riches.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How do you battle the materialism of the world with your relationship with God?

The Danger of Materialism

The danger of materialism is a real thing in our world. We’ve all been victims of the consumer capitalism marketing ploys. From the consoles wars encouraging people to choose between Xbox and PlayStation, the playful rivalry between Apple and Android, and even the simple debates between Coke versus Pepsi. Marketing encourages us to take a side and stay loyal to them. Why? Because if you cannot commit, they cannot survive – or at least that’s what they want you to think.

The materials of the world can often represent wealth. If someone has the new iPhone, you might think: “They got a lot of money to afford something like that.” If someone rolls around in a new Corvette, you might think: “I wonder what they do for work.” Items become a status symbol and lead to jealousy and the evil force of comparison. We start to reflect on our own lives and may feel like we aren’t doing enough. We can feel like we’re failing and falling behind.

We, as believers, need to guard against allowing money to take precedence over our spiritual commitments. This means recognizing that God guides us to the path that He created us to follow for a reason. We are not falling behind, nor do we need to rush ahead. We take each step at a time, checking in with God along the way, and making sure we are not straying away from the path. While we trust in God’s timing, we must name that some are forced into survival mode because of the unjust systems of the world. This is our call to share in our abundance so that all have enough. It reminds me that we need to trust in God’s provision and knowing that He will provide us everything we need to do what we’ve been tasked to do. We must keep close to God’s teachings, making sure we stay mindful of what we say and do, and ensuring that we are using our resources for the purposes that honors and glorifies God AND cares for our neighbor.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How can you make sure you stay loyal to God and not to the brands around you?

Next part: Aligning Words and Actions || You Have Heard It Said || Part 3