Mammon

“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.” Matthew 6:24 (KJV)

The worship of Mammon

Mammon is an idol worshipped by millions and millions of people all over the world. There is a cult build around this figure. Cult being defined as “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.” (Oxford language dictionary Online)

Jesus said you cannot serve God and mammon.

The temptation

There are two classic temptations included in the word of God. The original temptation in the garden of Eden in Genesis 3:1-7 and the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13

God’s original plan for Adam and his wife was to dress and keep the garden of Eden within the Seventh Day of creation, God’s own Sabbath rest. They were to sacrifice the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as the act of worship.

Adam and his wife were created to be a part of a worship system.

It was never God’s will for them to know good or evil. God wanted them to experience the blessings of his Sabbath rest.

The temptation to Eve was threefold:

“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5 (KJV)

1. Their eyes would be opened! Opened how? To another reality! There eyes were opened and they knew they were naked. So they made provisions for hemselves
2. They shall be as gods, to chose their own destiny.
3. They would know good and evil. They are in the position to be judges of right and wrong.

What did they do wrong? Threefold

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her: and he did eat.” Genesis 3:6

1. She saw the tree was good for food or provision
2. It was pleasant to the eyes. It looked good.
3. A tree to be desired to make one wise. She saw that the tree could make her wise

She ate the fruit and turned and gave it to her husband and he ate the fruit too! That is the story of humanity. In my years of serving as a volunteer chaplain in the Wayne County Jail and Dickerson Detention Facility, I saw common thread running through those who became addicted to drugs. Somebody introduced them to weed, crack cocain, alcohol, gambling, etc…

Jesus temptation was threefold:

1. Satan said to Jesus, If you be the Son of God turn this stone into bread.
2. Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and set him down and said, if you be the Son of God cast yourself down for it is written he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways
3. Satan show him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and said, If you worship me all shall yours.

In all three challenges, Jesus refused to be lead by those temptations. He also refused to move outside of the will of God. He refused to initiate an act independently of God.

Satan says, ‘worship me and the world shall be yours’

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8-9 (KJV)

Jesus said,

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew 4:10 (KJV)

Two things:

1. Worship exclusively belongs to God and nobody else. He and he alone designates what is worship and how it is administered.
2. Jesus said, Him only shalt you serve

God is calling man back into his Sabbath rest. He gave the promise of Sabbath rest to Adam. He gave it to Israel through the covenant he established through the ministry of Moses. He renewed the promise of Sabbath rest during the ministry of King David. He extends to all mankind his promise of Sabbath rest throught the ministry of Jesus Christ!

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. LET US LABOUR therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:9-11 (KJV)

The valley of indecision

People are stuck in the valley of indecision between faith in God and trust in Mammon.

When Jesus was ministering to his disciples in Matthew 6:24-34, he was ministrying to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, a people who knew covenant promises. They knew the works of God and the faithfulness of God. They had about 2000 years of history walking in covenant. The Jewish people knew the covenant promises of the kingdom of God!

The Gentiles only knew or knows citizenship or constitutional rights of their nations. This includes the political and economic system of your nation. I had to learn that my covenant rigths superedes my constitutional right.

The Gentiles nations came to faith in Christ in the second half of the Bible, the New Testament.

“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:18-19 (KJV)

I encourage you to read the entire Bible but it is important to read and know the first three chapters of the book of Genesis; St. John chapter 3, and the last three chapters of the book of Revelation. These seven chapters will give you a good working foundation to understanding the will of God.

As a believer, you can be stuck in citizenship/constitutional rights. You can be limited by the economic system of your country or you can labor to enter into the eternal promise of the LORD’s sabbath rest.

Jesus said,

“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek🙂 for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. BUT SEEK YE FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:31-34 (KJV)

You cannot serve God and mammon! What is in your hands?