Worship Service on Sunday, October 13, 2024
The believer is to serve God, not riches. When reading Matthew 6:24, many people may say, I believe you can serve two masters. I work two jobs. They may say this because they don’t understand the Greek translation of the word ‘serve’. It does not refer to an employee in an 8 to 5 job. It refers to being a slave. A slave is one who constantly and entirely is devoted to his master. Romans 6:17-18, “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed. Having been freed from sin, you become slaves of righteousness. You serve righteousness instead of sin.”
Romans tells us even though we were once a slave of sin, God has freed us to become a slave of righteousness. You can serve God only with entire and exclusive devotion with single-mindedness. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus is saying that if you try to serve two masters, God and wealth, you will love one but hate the other. Jesus is saying that money is a rival God. These two masters, God and wealth, are diametrically opposed. One commands you to walk by faith, the other by sight. One commands you to be humble, the other to be proud. One commands you to be affectionate on things above, the other affectionate on things on earth. One commands you to look at things unseen and internal, while the other at things seen and temporal. One commands you to be anxious about nothing, the other commands you to be anxious about everything. You can’t obey both orders. You can’t serve two masters because they are so opposed.
Mary Elizabeth Byrne was born July 2, 1880 in Dublin, Ireland. A linguist, Mary received her education from the Dominican Covenant in Dublin and the National University of Ireland where she graduated in 1905. She received the Chancellor’s gold medal at the Royal University of Ireland. She worked for the Board of Intermediate Education and helped compile the catalog of the Royal Irish Academy. She also contributed to the Old and Mid Irish Dictionary and Dictionary of the Irish Language. When Mary Byrne was 25 years old, she was a student doing research in a Dublin Island laboratory. In 1905 when she discovered a rare 14th century copy of an ancient Irish poem that she translated into English for the first time. Most scholars attribute the poem to an anonymous author from the eighth century.
Eleanor Hull came along seven years after Mary’s translation to trim the lyrics and add a traditional Irish folk tune that resulted in the hymn, Be Thou My Vision. This well-known hymn is composed as a prayer to God. You can imagine how the reference to God as High King of Heaven resonated with people ruled by British monarchs. The references to God’s protection as battle shield and sword were immediately registering with people wary from war. What is striking about the original 1905 version is the repetitive phrase of “Be thou”. There are 18 references to ‘Be thou’ associated with God. This hymn represents the combined efforts of an anonymous eighth century poet, 14th century copyist, 20th century translator, and a 20th century editor. There is not much else about Mary who died at 50 in January 1931.
The third verse though, “riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise. Thou mine inheritance, now and always. Thou and thou only first in my heart, high king of heaven, my treasure thou art”. This verse tells us how to view riches correctly. Mary had the right vision when she translated this poem. People must choose one or the other, God or wealth. We as Christians need to do what God commands, which is to serve and love other people. We cannot allow ourselves to love wealth and obey what the world commands. One passage from Matthew is saying, put anxiety aside in favor of trusting your Father for every last thing you need. Easier said than done, right? Especially in today’s world. We should not get upset about what’s going to happen tomorrow. God is already up ahead of us and he will take care of tomorrow.
This week, I had an interesting conversation with an old boss that I happened to run into in Target. When he found out that I was a pastor of a church, he asked me this question, “are you ready and looking forward to the rapture?” Without hesitation, I said to him, “I’m not worried about the rapture because when God decides to come again, it will be in his time, not in my time. It’s not for me to worry about. God will take care of tomorrow. It’s all wonderful stuff”.
As we have been talking about wealth being a master, you serve one, you may ask, “can I be rich and still love God more than I love or trust money?” That may not be very easy, an easy task for some people. Jesus said in Luke 18:25, “for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, for then a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”.
If a person finds themselves with much wealth and prosperity, undoubtedly God would desire them to bring about a positive change in the world. He calls us to be good stewards of the resources he entrusts us to us, using them to bless others and advance the kingdom on earth. This means that wealth should never be viewed as an end in itself, but rather as a means to fulfill God’s purposes and impact the lives of those around us. One common misconception about money in the Bible is the belief that poverty is a sign of godliness and that wealth is a sign of sinfulness. While the Bible warns against the dangers of greed and the love of money, it also affirms the blessings that come from diligent work and wise stewardship.
Proverbs 10:4, “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” This talks about the importance of hard work and responsible financial management in achieving prosperity. King Solomon, for example, was known for his wisdom and great wealth, 1 Kings 10:23, “So King Solomon became richer than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom”.
We know that King Solomon’s prosperity was not solely for his own benefit but also to fulfill God’s purpose for Israel and bring glory to his name. Another example of wealth in the Bible, Joseph, who went from being a slave to becoming the second in command of Egypt. You know, he had a lot of wealth. Through his wisdom and godly character, Joseph was able to ultimately bring blessings to his family and the Egyptian people. Prosperity is not an evil in itself, but rather a tool that God can use to accomplish his purposes in our lives and lives of others. It is essential to maintain a healthy balance between material wealth and spiritual well-being. Wealth should never ever take precedence over our relationship with God and our commitment to living according to his principles. Jesus asked us a thought-provoking question in Mark 8:36, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” This verse reminds us that we cannot be truly fulfilled by solely having material possessions. Our ultimate satisfaction and well-being come from knowing and walking in obedience to God. While the Bible cautions against the love of money and the pursuit of wealth for selfish gain, it also affirms the blessings that come from diligent work, wise stewardship, and generous giving. We as Christians need to strive to be good stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us, using them to bring glory to His name and make a positive impact on the world. Our true wealth lies not in material possessions, but in our relationship with God. We can only serve one master, and our master is our almighty father.
Here’s something to think about. It’s called “Hang it on the cross”. If you have a secret sorrow, a burden or a loss, an achy need for healing, hang it on the cross. If worry steals your sleep and makes you toss and turn, if your heart is feeling heavy, hang it on the cross. Every obstacle to faith or doubt you come across, every prayer unanswered, hang it on the cross. For God has borne our brokenness and dearly paid the cost to turn our trials to triumph. He hung it on the cross. Amen.
