You Gotta Serve Somebody (Matt 6:24)

Matthew 6:24   24 "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." 

"It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody," belts out Dylan.    He's right.  

A few years ago, a big Atlanta company hired me to be their Vice President of Product Development.  My first day of work was spent being taken around by my boss who introduced me to the officers of the company and the organization of engineers that would report to me.  On my second day of work, my boss was fired and I was promoted into her job (without an increase in pay or a change of title). On my third day of work, they moved me into her all glass (hotter than Hades - literally, the air conditioner did not work) penthouse corner office.   On my fourth day of work, my neighbor, another VP (whose office was air conditioned), stopped by, closed my door, and whispered to me that he had just been in a meeting where two Presidents of two different divisions had argued for having me and my organization report to them.  One of the Presidents was over Operations and the other was over Marketing.  This VP said that to keep everyone happy, it was decided that I would report to both of them.  Now I can't tell you how incredibly absurd that is - and what a lack of leadership it demonstrated at the top of the company.  

The President of Marketing got his bonus based on how the product sold.  So he wanted engineering to concentrate on features - it mattered very little to him personally how hard it was to manufacture the product.  The President of Operations got his bonus based on how efficiently the product was produced.  So he would want engineering to concentrate on ease of production - it mattered very little to him personally that the product was what the market wanted.  Not only did these two Presidents have conflicting goals, but everyone knew the two men did not get along. Another sign that the company obviously lacked leadership at the very top.  Everyone knew that it would be my job to referee since their boss wouldn't step up.  And everyone was right!   On my 30th day of work, I grew tired of watching grown men act like pitbulls and gave two week's notice for a job where my office had air conditioning.

There really is no point trying to serve two masters.  You will have to choose which one you will make happy.  In these verses, Jesus pits serving God against the goal of obtaining wealth.  You can't serve God and serve a desire for wealth.  Ironically so many preachers have tried to make the prosperity gospel work: "serve God and you will be wealthy".  But it doesn't work.  It conflicts with the way of Jesus.  

If your goal is to become wealthy, then you need to commit to making decisions that will bring in the cash.  That might mean bad-mouthing your competitors, underpaying your subcontractors and employees, breaking a few laws here and there, neglecting friends and family, robbing a bank, playing the stock market, or even betting on the fastest horse.  But you gotta be willing to do whatever it takes so that your pockets are always getting fuller and fuller.  If wealth is your goal, you will never ever have enough money!  It is how obsession with wealth works.  And you can't let the way of Jesus distract you.  

But if your goal is to follow Jesus, then you need to love (even your competitors), put others (such as your employees - but even your competitors) before yourself, work for the good of others, etc.  None of these things read well in mission statements and project plans.  Serving God and money just don't mix.  Sometimes wealth happens even though it hasn't been one's goal, but that is different from pursuing it.  And even then Jesus is going to tell you to give it away.  

If you are following Jesus, because you think he has promised to make you wealthy, then you aren't following Jesus.  

*****

Another gospel weighs in...

Luke 16:13   "No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."