11/15/2007
Matthew 6:24 - 25 (HCSB)
24“No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. 25“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Matthew 6:34 (HCSB)
34Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
In this current age, we have all kinds of self-help books and seminars teaching us how to become our own masters, but the fact of the matter is, we still have a master. The question is, do we have the conscience to admit who that master is?
In ancient days, when one borrowed a great sum of money and was unable to pay, he became a bonded servant (a slave) till the debt was paid. Are we not slaves to our mortgage companies? Do we not labor each day for the sake of our credit cards or our cars, boats, or whatever else we “own”?
The passage above is in red letter to let the reader know these are the words of Jesus. This passage comes from what we know as “the sermon on the mount.” Jesus stood on this hill-side while many people sat in the plain below him listening to his words.
I visited Israel and stood at the site believed to be where this event occurred. It overlooks the Sea of Galilee not too far from where Jesus called Peter and Andrew, James and John to follow him. It is a natural amphitheater.
In those days, the idea of having a “master” was not uncommon and the people could easily relate to the idea. But today, the idea is repugnant to us. But step back from your situation and ask yourself: “why do I have to go to work every day?” If your answer begins with the word “because” then you have a master.
Our “masters” today don’t stand over us with a whip and bark out orders, but they are nonetheless masters which we must labor to please.
The question Jesus asks is, which master do you love more: your master on earth or your master in Heaven? He gives us some guidance in the next statement; that this life is about more than what we wear or eat. There are greater things at stake than our physical comfort. Each day will bring its own challenges and that is a mortal fact. Should we then be more concerned about serving and pleasing the eternal master?
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
©2007 Cleff Publishing, all rights reserved.
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