My son Max used to love to play the game what would you do if . . . in which he would give a hypothetical situation and then ask how I would would choose between difficult options. For example: if all your kids were trapped inside a burning building, who would you save first? A question like that is impossible for a parent to answer—how does one choose between equal loves? He was entertained by the game, but Max also wondered where my loyalty lay—was he safe with me?
Yesterday’s passage ended with the verse: No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24) The word ‘money’ is often translated ‘Mammon’ but the word ‘mammon’ didn’t originally mean money. Originally it referred to something people put their trust in or had confidence in. Because humans tend to put confidence in money, the word ‘mammon’ started to become synonymous with wealth or riches.
Jesus isn’t saying that having or making money is bad. He’s checking loyalty: if your loyalty to God or money was tested, which would you be willing to enter the burning building to secure?
What do you value?
Will what you treasure, last?
Can it be destroyed or lost?
Is it a safe place for you to rest your confidence?
If we value that will which will last, and that’s where our confidence is, what do we have to be anxious about? As kingdom people pursuing kingdom life, can’t we trust the King to provide? Could we not be content to ask our King for our today’s bread and trust Him enough to leave tomorrow’s in His care?
Oh readers, this isn’t a blasé or flippant invitation to follow Jesus to health, wealth, or ease. It’s a call to take up your cross and follow Jesus day after day. It’s a call to be carried through your tears and doubts and fears. You will mourn, but He will comfort you. You may be persecuted for righteousness sake, but you lose nothing because you will inherit the Kingdom! It will not be easy, but you will be safe. Because He is your Father. He entered into the deepest and darkest place of fear, death itself, to rescue you.
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