Jesus’ Terrible Financial AdviceНамуна

God Versus Money

Of all the terrible and terrifying things Jesus said about money, there is one verse that rises above them all. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matt. 6:24).

So, what is Jesus’ hang-up with money? And why can’t we love them both?

Certainly, the foundation of every Christian’s life is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (see Mark 12:30), not because we’re so great, but because He is. God loved us first and loves us best. God’s love is amazing. Nothing shakes our conviction there. Where Jesus gets us is the part about hating money.

This confused me as well, until I read about the prophet Jeremiah one day. He pointed out the many grievances God had against His people, from their mistreatment of the poor, fatherless, and widows, to their greed, fatness, and self-indulgence. However, I saw that one sin rose far above them all. The sin of idolatry. That sin caused God to pour out a double-measure of His wrath.

Why? Because idols steal God’s glory.

Before the dawn of the universe, the holy, all-wise, all-loving, all-powerful, infinite, just, and merciful God chose to give us life and call us to Himself. But as God waits patiently to receive our awe, wonder, and appreciation for all He is and does, an idol steps in to accept our applause. Like an insidious illusionist, the idol misdirects our attention to itself.

As a fake god, money’s only power is imitation. It falsely promises to give you the world, even though the world isn’t the idol’s to give. The false master that money imitates is the true master, God, by appealing to the same motivations. That is, money wants us to love it or fear it. Either one will do; both would be even better.

But it is our Father who has our back. Always has. Always will.

As we look at God and money in this new light, as competing masters vying for our hearts, it becomes clear that Jesus means just what He says. You cannot love them both. You cannot fear them both. You must choose whom you’re going to serve and who gets the glory.