"No one can serve two masters; for he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
This is a passage from the bible. Mathew 6:24. This was a quote from Jesus.
It tells me that if things in life become more important to me then God, then things in life have become too important to me. So then if things are more important to me then God, then I will serve my life for things instead of God. Then instead of God being my master, things become my master.
Doesn't it seem like things are more important to people today then God? I guess then it is not so coincidental that a lot of people are finding they love material things more then their fellow mankind.
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| You Can Not Serve God And Riches |
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annigma2u
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Jul 17 @ 1:43AM
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That's interesting I was just thinking about that the other day. Something similar to what the Dalai Lama said as well. How we are so materialistic in today's society. We are impatient for the materialistic things but do not practise much temperance when it comes to the spiritual.
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hammertime
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Jul 17 @ 7:46AM
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While material things are less important than things like love, integrity, self-sacrifice, knowledge and compassion how does myth make itself even more important? To skew the mind into believing a religious fantasy could only damage the authenticity of a life and harm humanity. The whole idea of a myth, its metaphors and allegories is to learn lessons that apply to life but the myth itself is not the object but a vehicle.
As for riches. We got Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell (happily dead), Robert Tildon, Ted Haggard, The Bakkers, Swaggert, Benny Hinn, John Hagee, Peter Poppoff (He made $20,000,000 in one year alone), and all the rest who love tithing. Tax free 10% tithing from delusional folks would make any preacher rich. Its the best business in the world. No products are manufactured. The only overhead is rent or mortgage, some printed materials, auditorium equipment. Its all talk and you pay no taxes. Its pure genius.
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eastham
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Jul 17 @ 8:07AM
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Close but no cigar. You cannot draw a simple equal sign between mammon and riches. The primary definition of mammon is "the false god of riches and avarice." Therefore, it is not simply wealth, but the visceral need to accumulate it. It is the greed and miserliness that are incumbent to the sin.
One wonders, therefore, what Jesus would think of the modern day Protestant evangelical. What would he think about pastors who preach "Jesus wants you to be rich" and "Jesus wants you to be successful"? In other words, what would He think of the ministries of the likes Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggert in the 1980's and Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer today?
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jamminjerry
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Jul 17 @ 9:12AM
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whew! tuff crowd, but of course they are pissing in the wind. LOL the simians are drawn to the light and noise. "leave them alone, for they have their reward", it is in qoutations because my Teacher also said that. "...but fools despise wisdom and instruction". one of the hardest things for me to accept is to leave them alone. they take and give nothing back. we be jammin 
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justsayyeah7
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Jul 17 @ 9:45AM
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eastham - I am somewhat puzzled by your comment. You are saying that Jesus was close but no cigar?
You cannot draw a simple equal sign between mammon and riches.
Why not? Jesus did. Are you saying that Jesus was wrong? I rather doubt it. I suggest picking up the bible and reading that passage and you will see that Jesus does make it the same. I am sorry, but if it comes down to a choice of believing you or the bible then you have no chance. But then you turn around and wonder how Jesus would feel about some of the TV preachers. I am quite certain that Jesus would be sad that some people have corrupted the christian faith. The bible even talks about how some false preachers will hurt peoples faith in God with their selfious intentions. In other words. God new people like you would feel the way you do about faith because of what a few people have done, and he warned us about it. It is all there in the bible.
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Detach
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Jul 17 @ 11:58AM
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Very well. Then I opt to serve 'riches'. Unlike the make believe god, riches have served me rather well.
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Invictus2012
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Jul 17 @ 12:00PM
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I agree you cannot serve God and Mammon, as the Bible says. However, I think the quote should be put in its proper perspective. The love of money above God is the road to ruin and spiritual debasement. That said, I believe the pursuit of riches is a spiritual obligation. Poverty is a sign of being out of alignment with the Creator, who put us here that we may worship Him by making the most of ourselves. And we make the most of ourselves by becoming wealthy--including monetarily.
Consider the wealthiest man that ever lived as John D. Rockefeller, Sr., a devout Christian who firmly believed that it was his duty to earn all he can and to give away all he can. Seen from this viewpoint, it is no wonder he was blessed with the wealth he enjoyed, for he gave with open hands.
Also, the parable of the three talents is very telling.
"For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath."
Poverty indicates a lack of faith, and is duly "punished." Wealth means we are living in spiritual alignment with the One.
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justsayyeah7
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Jul 17 @ 12:25PM
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Invictus2012 - I am sorry to say that I am in total disagreement with your comment. Here is the reason why;
The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
This is a passage in the bible. Mathew 19: 20-22
It would seem to me that if Jesus wanted us to be rich, He wouldn't tell us to give it all to the poor. As for the parable of talents, in my opinion that is not a parable indicating that we should seek riches, it is quite the opposite. It is showing how the man was so happy that he was able to get richer at the expense of the people and therefore was happy with the 2 people who could accompolish this. The third person didn't make the man richer so he banished him. In other words, this is a parable showing how some people are always taking from others to get richer and leave others poorer. That means the rich will have plenty and the poor will have nothing because the rich takes from the poor. It has nothing to do with being righteous in the seeking of wealth, it is the complete opposite and the passage I wrote up above helps illustrate that.
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