“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.” Matthew 6:24 NIV
Have you ever taken part in a Vacation Bible Camp week? I have had the blessing many times over the years, and what a joy-filled week it can be. So many people offer their helping hands to look after the many children. The responsibility for their safety is great, and yet the volunteers willingly teach, prepare daily snacks, organize crafts, set up and take part in games, and do so much more than I have space to cover in this article.
It takes hours and months of work to prepare, and it shows how many willing hands are needed each year to ensure a successful and happy time for the children. The funds needed and raised to support the mission or the missionary being helped. In turn, the children are being taught the blessing of giving and receiving through many open hands. The parents and other adults are being blessed at the same time.
One particular year, it was time for the Sunday service following a very active VBC week with many children attending. The church was packed with excited children and adults. A visiting mother and her small daughter sat next to me in the pew. The little girl was obviously anxious for the program to begin. When it did, she sang and clapped to the songs with great gusto and glee. When it came time for VBC to perform their songs and skits, the little girl happily ran to the front to join the other children.
Pastor Don gave a short, but very effective message about the ‘Easy wide road to Hell’ or the ‘Hard narrow path to Heaven’. He used some of the children from VBC to hold his signs, and then had a small boy go through the narrow door he had prepared. Talk about ‘sign language’! A person could be absolutely ignorant about the Bible and yet fully understand this simple message by the end of his short sermon to these children, let alone the adults hearing it for the first time.
Nancy Ortberg’s book, Looking for God, dedicates a chapter to hands. She states … “Hands! Open or closed, what kind of hands do you have? When it comes to our hands, we have a choice. We can either go through life with them closed: tightfisted, fearful, angry, reluctant, withholding, comparative, and empty. Or, we can go through life with our hands open: generous, expressive, grateful, helping, and full.”
There are two Master’s that one can follow throughout life. One will encourage you to keep your hands open and giving, while the other will entice you to keep them closed and tightfisted. Jesus talks about these Two Masters in Matthew 6, and it relates somewhat like this: 1) Don’t perform for people. 2) Depend on your Heavenly Father. 3) Prioritize eternity. 4) Your focus reveals your devotion. “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.” Matthew 6:24 NIV
Jesus compares treasure/money/wealth to lordship. Why would Jesus do this? Because money is more than just financial, it’s spiritual. Jesus portrays Money as a rival master to God, indicating that it is a spiritual force competing for your attention and allegiance. The issue isn’t having money. The issue is money having you. We all serve something. You don’t choose: God or nothing. You choose: God or Mammon.
So how do I know if I’m serving money (or even something else, as a god, for that matter)? The lesson here is that money isn’t just currency. It represents security apart from God, identity through its possession, and false control through wealth. God’s word informs us about money or anything else we worship besides Him, in Matthew 6:19-21 NLT, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moth and rust destroy them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moth and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
When we tithe, we are not helping God, for He doesn’t need our help with anything. When we tithe, a spiritual dethroning is taking place. Your money is no longer your lord. Jesus becomes the Lord of your finances in all areas of your life. As Malachi says in 3:10 NLT, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”
You don’t dethrone Money alone, only giving does, because generosity contradicts fear. Jesus isn’t talking about budgeting, but about His Lordship. He is the Master of all! You cannot serve two masters, but you can change masters by choosing the One with the nail wounds in His hands.
That year of VBC at Riverside was an atmosphere of giving, open hands from volunteers, children, parents, and our church members, which blew us away with God’s faithfulness. His generous Spirit permeated all who took part, as well as others who never attended VBC, but gave willingly and generously with their open hands and open hearts. Christ’s Church — His Body can work miracles when Saints reach out to others with loving and willing Open Hands!
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your loving hands, which are always open to anyone seeking your provisions and healing balm of salvation.
One can’t, at once, promote two reputations.
Promote God’s and forget yours.
Or promote yours and forget God’s.
We must choose” Max Lucado.