We can not serve two masters...

Jesus reminds us over and over again what our priorities must be.  First and foremost we are called to serve one Master, and that is God.   There are so many distractions that take us away from our true purpose.  Once in a while we need to put down our iPad, our iPhone, and the remote.  We don’t need to get rid of them, but we must realize that all of the things the “world” values are distractions from our true purpose, and that is to serve God.  We serve God by loving Him and our neighbor, and by helping those in need.  

Jesus tells us in this week’s Gospel that you can’t serve two masters.  We “will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.   You cannot serve both God and Mammon”.

So what exactly is Mammon?  I think of money when I hear the word Mammon, and it is money, but it can be many other things too!   Originally the Hebrew term meant money or something of great value (treasure).  Over time the term evolved and became known as something that was held either with a banker or someone you completely trusted, knowing that when you needed it, it would be available for you.  Mammon was now becoming an object of trust.  Next, the word began to be written with a capital letter signifying its importance, and people began to put all their hope and trust in this “Mammon”, and it became their god.

We live in a society that LOVES Mammon.  We are so fortunate in this country to live, for the most part, extremely comfortable lives, and I don’t believe that Jesus is saying wealth is a bad thing.   But he is saying we should be wise in how we acquire it, spend it, and how we should use it to build up the Kingdom of God, and not ourselves.  It’s when the purpose of “Mammon” becomes self-gratifying, that we can become enslaved to it, and our motivation and disposition can quickly turn from God to self.

The Lord knows our limitations, and our potential.  There is no “God quota” for prayer or good works.  He does not have unrealistic expectations.  He knows what we can and cannot do depending on our state in life.   But He does expect us to do something! 

So, what is your “Mammon”?  Where do you place your hope and trust?  What obstructions are keeping you from serving God?  What is getting in the way of your special purpose that God has planned for you?      

Reflection by Cheryl Provost