Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!”, and in chapter six and verse twenty-four of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples, “no man can serve two masters” where we read:
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
The verse reads, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; ” Matthew began with the words, “no man” which means “no person whether male or female” “can serve” or “is equipped and able to be a slave, do service to and obey” “two masters” which refers to “two persons to whom things belong about which they have power of deciding; masters and the title for God the Messiah”: “for” or “because, since, on account of and consequently” “he will hate” which means “that person will love less and detest” “the one” or “the certain and specific one”, “and love” or “welcome, entertain, be fond of and love dearly” “the other” which means “the other certain and specific one”. Jesus told His disciples there was no one who could “serve and obey” two “certain masters” because they will “love” one and “detest” the other.
The verse goes on to say, “or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew added the words, “or else” or “and either, rather and except” “he will hold” which means “the person will withstand, endure, cleave to and pay heed” “to the one” or “toward the certain one”, “and despise” which means “and contemn, disdain and think litter or nothing of” “the other” or “the other certain one”. “You cannot” which means “the disciple will not and in no way” “serve” or “be a slave to, do service to and obey” “God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “and mammon” or “treasure, riches and wealth”. Jesus told His disciples a person who attempts to “serve two masters” not only shall not be able to do so, but he will also “cleave to” the one, and “disdain” the other because no one is able to “serve God” and “treasures, wealth and riches”.
When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus instructed His disciples concerning who and what they “serve”. Nobody is able to truly “serve” God and “riches or wealth” at the same time. The idea is to determine the dedication of one's life, and the decision is either to “serve” the “Eternal God” or the temporary “riches” of the world. Time, effort, energy and mind can be spent upon either the things of God or the wealth of the world, and Jesus told His disciples they could not “serve” both. God desires a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus Christ, and He requires no competition for allegiance. Let all who read these words take heed.
Next time Jesus tells His disciples, “take not thought for your life”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
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Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
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