Our challenge today will be unlikely to choose between Satan and God. A person of right mind will not choose Satan over God. From our conversation with inmates, no one planned to be a failure since childhood. Broken families, unfair circumstances and wrong choices are results from the sins of mankind which contributed to the wrong choices one made. Our choices still matter though.
In Luke 16:13 our Lord Jesus made an astounding statement. No servant 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.
This statement is a masterpiece because one can revisit the verse again and again. It is straight forward, to the point, with no interpretation needed. But the implication is great and the consequences severe.
No servant can serve 2 masters. A common encounter we have in the corporate world. We will always find ourselves in a conflicting situation when we have 2 masters. We want to know who we are answerable to in an organisation. Hence this point has no contention. Either he will hate one and love the other. There is no contention too because we will make the judgement of who makes a better master in relation to us.
The master then went a little deeper into the heart. He will hate one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. The conflict here goes much deeper. If you ever answer to 2 bosses you will understand this. When you love one, the other usually you dislike or hate. The result will be held to one and despise the other!
Jesus ended this statement with you cannot serve God and mammon (money). It is likely to be money that draws our heart away from God. When money becomes our master, we will despise the Lord. Jesus called it the thorny ground that chokes and kills spiritual growth in the parable of the sower.
May we search our hearts if we only have 1 master. May we learn to love God and hold on to Him alone. May we shunt the lure of money and trust the Lord to provide us so that we can be generous in our ways.
Antioch Chapel 