Daily Devotional For Thursday, October 31, 2024
As you know we are making our way through Jesus’ sermon called The Sermon On The Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5, 6, & 7. We are currently looking at Matthew 6:19-24:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (20) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; (21) for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (22) “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. (23) But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (24) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (NASB).
We have broken each of these verses down in this passage except verse 24. Let’s do that today for our devotional – “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (NASB). Being conflicted is not a stress-free experience, but we often find ourselves conflicted. The word Jesus uses here for “master” is [κύριος, kurios]. This is typically the word translated as “lord” or “Lord.” Just as we cannot have our treasures both in earth and in heaven or our bodies both in light and in darkness, we cannot serve two masters.
This word has several implications. Pastor and author John MacArthur writes this:
“This refers to a slave owner. The idea is not simply that of an employer, of which a person may have several at the same time and work for each of them satisfactorily. Many people today hold two or more jobs. If they work the number of hours they are supposed to and perform their work as expected, they have fulfilled their obligation to their employers, no matter how many they may have. The idea is of masters of slaves”
But by definition, a slave owner has total control of the slave. For a slave there is no such thing as partial or part-time obligation to his master. He owes full time service to a full-time master. He is owned and totally controlled by and obligated to his master. He has nothing left for anyone else. To give anything to anyone else would make his master less than master. It is not simply difficult, but absolutely impossible, to serve two masters and fully or faithfully be the obedient slave of each.
Over and over the New Testament speaks of Christ as Lord and Master and of Christians as His bond-slaves. Paul tells us that before we were saved we were enslaved to sin, which was our master. But when we trusted in Christ, we became slaves of God and of righteousness (Rom. 6:16–22)” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 414).
We cannot claim that Jesus Christ is our Lord IF we give our allegiance to anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ, this even includes ourselves. When we know God’s will but we refuse to obey it, it proves our loyalties are elsewhere. We can no more serve two masters at the same time as we can walk in two different directions at the same time. As Jesus says, “For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other” (NLT).
This reminds me of a quote by John Calvin, who said: “Where riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost His authority” (Source: John Calvin, A Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Vol. 1, p. 337). We are either building our kingdom or God’s kingdom. We are either putting our treasure in heaven or on earth. We are either in the full light or in the full darkness. Our master is either God or mammon (earthly possession, money, wealth).
Jesus says that these two masters are diametrically opposed and cannot coexist. Why? One demands we walk by faith; the other demands we walk by sight. One calls us to an attitude of humility, the other one calls us to an attitude of pride. One sets our minds above, and the other sets our minds down here on this earth. One calls us to love light and the other one calls us to love the darkness. For anyone who claims to be a disciple of Jesus and who truly Jesus is his master, can say as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (NLT). Such a person can say with King David in Psalm 16:8, “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (NASB). Or as 85-year-old Caleb said in Joshua 14:8b, “I followed the Lord my God fully” NASB).
As pastor and author Chuck Swindoll writes:
“Many Christians believe they can balance the passionate pursuit of Christ with the passionate pursuit of riches, or give equal time to both of these. But in the Christian life that has enthroned Jesus alone as Lord, there is no room for competing loyalties. Our possessions and pursuits must be submitted to Christ’s plans and priorities, not the other way around” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, “Matthew 1-15,” Vol. 1A, p. 120).
New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton writes this:
“Who’s your master? Jesus says we can have only one master. We live in a materialistic society where many people serve money. They spend all their lives collecting and storing it, only to die and leave it behind. Their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters. Even Christians spend a great deal of time trying to create heaven on earth. Whatever you store up, you will spend much of your time and energy thinking about. Don’t fall into the materialistic trap, because “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Does Christ or money occupy more of your thoughts, time, and efforts? Ask yourself, “Have I taken Christ or financial security as my master?” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Study Bible, “Matthew,” p. 122).
Questions To Consider
- Who would you say is your master? Mammon (money) or Jesus Christ? If you say, “Jesus Christ,” let me ask you this question. Before you spend money, do you always check with Him before You spend His money? Why or why not?
- Many disciples of Jesus are conflicted today between knowing where the balance is between wealth and Jesus. If you have ever been conflicted in your relationship to Christ, what have been the major conflicts about for you? Did you resolve them? If so, how?
- Jesus says it is impossible to serve two masters? Do you agree with Jesus and if you do, why is this so?
Scripture To Meditate On: 1 John 2:15-16, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I do not want to be conflicted in my loyalties to You. I do not want competing loyalties either. I want my life characterized by faith, humility, my mind set on things above, and on light. Jesus, if I am being honest, I tend to think about myself before I think about You. Please forgive me for this. Help me to seek first Your kingdom and your righteousness. I love you Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly