Luke 16:8-13: a reflection

8“His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children of the light. 9I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents. 10He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to one and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.”

As Jesus teaches about the use of money, he states plainly that we cannot give ourselves to both God and wealth at once. No servant can serve two masters, he says; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to one and despise the other. You aren't able to serve God and Mammon. Money and God are set as rival masters, and we cannot serve both; we must choose which will have our ultimate devotion. To try to serve both is impossible, for the two make claims that finally conflict; one master or the other will have our heart. We cannot give our ultimate loyalty to both God and money.

Notice the impossibility Jesus names: no one can serve both God and money. He does not say it is difficult; he says it cannot be done. Money and God are rival masters, each claiming our devotion, and we cannot give ourselves ultimately to both. One will have our love, the other our lesser regard; one our loyalty, the other our slighting. To try to serve both is to fail at both, for the two make conflicting claims on our hearts. We must choose our master: God or money. There is no serving both; one or the other will finally have our devotion, and we must decide which. The choice cannot be avoided, only made rightly or wrongly.

That is worth taking to heart, for we cannot serve both God and money, and must choose which will have our ultimate devotion. We can try to give ourselves to both God and wealth, keeping God and money each in a place of devotion, imagining we can serve both; but Jesus says it cannot be done. Money and God are rival masters; one or the other will have our hearts. We must choose which will be our master. Do not try to serve both God and money, imagining you can give yourself to both; you cannot serve two masters, and must choose which will have your devotion. Choose God as your master rather than money, for you cannot serve both, as Jesus said no servant can serve two masters, and you aren't able to serve God and money; for money and God make conflicting claims on our devotion, and one or the other will finally have our hearts, so that we must decide which master we will serve.

Lord Jesus, as you teach about the use of money, you state plainly that we cannot give ourselves to both God and wealth at once. No servant can serve two masters, you say; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to one and despise the other. You aren't able to serve God and Mammon. Money and God are set as rival masters, and we cannot serve both; we must choose which will have our ultimate devotion. Show me the impossibility you name: no one can serve both God and money. You do not say it is difficult; you say it cannot be done. Money and God are rival masters, each claiming our devotion, and we cannot give ourselves ultimately to both. One will have our love, the other our lesser regard. To try to serve both is to fail at both, for the two make conflicting claims on our hearts. We must choose our master: God or money. There is no serving both. Take that to my heart, for I cannot serve both God and money, and must choose which will have my ultimate devotion. I can try to give myself to both God and wealth, keeping God and money each in a place of devotion, imagining I can serve both; but you say it cannot be done. Money and God are rival masters; one or the other will have my heart. Keep me from trying to serve both God and money, imagining I can give myself to both; I cannot serve two masters, Lord. Help me choose you as my master rather than money, for I cannot serve both, as you said no servant can serve two masters, and I am not able to serve God and money.