The saying, “You Cannot Serve God And Money,” is a powerful declaration from Jesus, deeply rooted in the cultural and spiritual context of his time, and profoundly relevant today. This statement, part of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:24, challenges the core of our devotion, asking us to examine where our ultimate allegiance truly lies. To grasp the full weight of this teaching, we need to unpack its historical backdrop, its theological implications, and its enduring impact on personal faith and practice.
Servitude and Masters in the First Century
In the first-century world, servitude was an undeniable aspect of society. A servant’s life was defined by complete dedication to their master. The concept of serving two masters was not just impractical; it was culturally unthinkable. Loyalty was singular, obedience absolute. This societal norm provides the immediate context for Jesus’ words. He uses the familiar concept of master and servant to illustrate a spiritual truth about our relationship with God. Just as a servant cannot divide their loyalty, so too, an individual cannot offer undivided devotion to both God and “money.”
Hate and Love, Devotion and Despise: The Dichotomy of Choice
Jesus continues to elaborate on this principle by stating, “Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” Here, the terms “hate” and “love,” and “devotion” and “despise” are not simply about emotional extremes. In biblical language, particularly within the Old Testament tradition, “hate” often signifies choosing against, while “love” denotes prioritizing and cleaving to. This is echoed in Deuteronomy 6:5, which commands us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength – a call for wholehearted commitment. Similarly, Joshua 24:15 presents the stark choice between serving God and idols.
The verse highlights the inherent human inclination to develop strong preferences. When faced with two competing “masters,” our natural tendency is to prioritize one over the other. Neutrality is an illusion; our actions and affections will inevitably lean towards one. This reflects the broader biblical theme of choice – the choice between life and death, blessing and curse, as laid out in Deuteronomy 30:19. In essence, choosing between God and money is choosing between fundamentally different life paths.
Mammon: More Than Just Money
The verse culminates in the definitive statement: “You cannot serve both God and money.” The word “money” here is translated from the Aramaic term “mammon.” Mammon is not merely currency or wealth in a neutral sense. It personifies riches and material possessions as a rival power, almost a deity in itself. This personification is crucial. Jesus isn’t just warning against the practical difficulties of managing finances and faith; he is addressing the spiritual danger of wealth becoming an idol.
Scripture is replete with warnings about the idolatry of wealth. Proverbs 11:28 cautions against trusting in riches. Jesus’ teaching here is consistent with this wisdom tradition, underscoring the spiritual conflict between serving God and the relentless pursuit of material gain. The juxtaposition of God and Mammon exposes a fundamental tension: serving God demands spiritual focus, while serving Mammon often leads to material obsession. This is a recurring theme in Jesus’ teachings, as seen in Luke 16:13, where the same principle is reiterated. The call is clear: believers must examine their priorities and consciously choose God as their ultimate master, aligning with the directive to seek first the kingdom of God in Matthew 6:33.
Undivided Loyalty in Practice
The teaching of “You cannot serve God and money” is not a condemnation of wealth itself, but a warning against divided loyalty. It’s about the heart’s orientation. Serving God implies a life directed by spiritual values, characterized by faith, love, and service to others. Serving money, or Mammon, implies a life driven by material accumulation, often leading to selfishness, greed, and a disregard for spiritual and ethical principles.
This teaching calls for a constant heart check. We must regularly evaluate where our true devotion lies. Are our decisions driven by a desire to please God or to amass wealth? Do we view our resources as tools for God’s glory and service to others (stewardship), or as possessions to hoard and control (ownership)? Embracing an eternal perspective – focusing on treasures in heaven rather than earthly riches – is key to navigating this tension.
Ultimately, Jesus’ declaration is a call to radical discipleship. It challenges us to prioritize our relationship with God above all else, recognizing that true fulfillment and lasting treasure are found not in material wealth, but in wholehearted devotion to our Creator. The choice, as Jesus makes clear, is unavoidable. We will inevitably serve one master over the other.
