[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
This week we begin looking at Luke Chapter 16. Please read verses 1-15 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
[/column]
[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
[/column]
[divider type=”1″]
[/divider]
[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
Luke 16:13-15 (NLT)
‘“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honours is detestable in the sight of God.’
There is no doubt that in today’s culture, there are many, many things that are clamouring for our attention. I am sitting at my desk typing these notes while surrounded by a number of things that are almost continually needed me to interact with them.
My phone is constantly on and I’m getting alerts from a whole host of different sources – text messages, whatsapp messages, facebook alerts, email notifications, calendar reminders and of course phone and voicemail messages. My computer itself also has the same email accounts and so I’m getting alerted of the same things from duplicate sources.
It really is quite difficult to stay focused when my concentration is being battled for on so many different fronts. It is clear that there are some people who are able to ‘multi-task’ and can seemingly juggle a number of balls at the same time. What is equally clear is that eventually, something always has to give and in order to fully concentrate on the task at hand, those other distractions have to be ignored or given a lower priority. We have to devote our time to the most important task in order to complete it or to give it the justice it deserves.
‘Devotion’ is an old fashioned word and one that isn’t really used much these days. We are being driven down the multi-tasking road and being told that we really can do everything we want, when we want and where we want. Everything is easy and is accessible to all instantly. The reality is starkly different in the spiritual realm. As we looked at yesterday, it is not compatible to attain great wealth at the expense of your soul.
In our verses today, Jesus explains this concept in even more drastic terms. He says that it comes down to us all having two masters: God and Money. The original word used for ‘money’ is ‘mammon’ and means ‘treasure’, ‘riches’ or ‘wealth’. I’m sure you know that Jesus is not saying that it is not possible to be a Christian and to be wealthy. He does however say that it is incredibly difficult to be both. The reason for this is that we all ‘need’ to serve something. Praise God that as Christians, we have found the true object of our service and devote our lives to His service and to His will for our lives. The more wealth that someone amasses, it becomes more evident that they are actually devoting themselves to that cause. They serve the attainment of riches and everything else becomes secondary to that desire. This is what is detestable to God.
Jesus is clearly asking us to make a decision as to where our devotion lies. I remember once where a young man had a very well paid job and he was complaining about how much he would have to give in tithes to the Lord. He found it easier to give when he didn’t have that much money. The love of money was creeping into his life and his devotion to God was suffering. Jesus said that if we ‘seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…then all these things will be added’. May we devote ourselves entirely to His will and trust Him for all that He will provide.
[/column]