Why is Jesus so concerned about loyalty?
Are not all servants loyal to their masters? Was this just a first century social problem, or is it even more critical today, than it was back then?
- How can you or I know: If we are being loyal to our master today?
- How can anyone know: Who their true master is in this very hour?
- How can others know: Who it is We are serving?
Is this just a light, momentary, social, surface area problem? Or is this a deep cutting, deeply defiling, eternal, and spiritually raging problem that is: either destroying us, or empowering us—every minute of our day?
Let’s see if we can answer some of these questions with confidence:
In order to do that, we first need to pay careful attention to exactly what Jesus is saying, and what he is not saying, and then apply that newly gain wisdom to our individual lives.
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Matthew 6:24 (KJV)
24 No man 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.
Why can “No man can serve two masters“? Matthew 6:24 (KJV)
Jesus emphasizes the impossibility of divided loyalty. Here’s why:
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The context:
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Jesus is teaching about the dangers of materialism and the importance of seeking God’s kingdom first (Matthew 6:19-34). He is warning against prioritizing wealth and earthly concerns over spiritual ones.
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The principle:
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Jesus illustrates his point using a common scenario from ancient times. In those days, a servant or slave would often have one master to whom they owed absolute loyalty and obedience. Serving two masters would create conflicts of interest, divided loyalties, and potentially harmful consequences.
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The reasons why it’s impossible to serve two masters:
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Conflicting interests: Two masters may have different goals, values, or priorities, making it impossible for the servant to please both simultaneously.
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Divided loyalty: Serving two masters requires splitting one’s allegiance, leading to partial commitment and potential betrayal of one or both masters.
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Incompatible demands: Two masters may demand contradictory actions or decisions, placing the servant in an impossible situation.
Spiritual application: Jesus applies this principle to the relationship between God and wealth (or any other earthly pursuit). He emphasizes that:
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God demands exclusive loyalty: To follow God, one must prioritize Him above all else (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37).
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Wealth and materialism can enslave: Pursuing wealth and earthly concerns can become an idol, distracting from and conflicting with devotion to God.
Conclusion:
Jesus teaches that attempting to serve two masters – God and wealth, or God and any other earthly pursuit – is futile. Ultimately, one master will take precedence, and the other will be neglected.
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In essence, “No man can serve two masters” reminds us to:
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Prioritize our relationship with God above all else.
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Recognize potential conflicts between earthly pursuits and spiritual devotion.
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Seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first (Matthew 6:33).
For clarity sake, let’s answer the question: who is being hated, being loved, being held to, and being despised?
For either,
- he will hate the one, [the Devil/Mammon/ the flesh]
- and love the other; [The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit]
or else he will:
- hold to the one [the Devil/Mammon/ the flesh]
- and despise the other. [The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit]
Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.
You will notice, that, in Jesus teaching, he leaves no room for doubt, no room for misunderstanding or misinterpretation– if we seek to understand the common sense interpretation of his sentences. It is clear, he leaves us the choice: who to love, hate, despise, and who to hold to.
In essence, we have to choose one or the other. And if we are going to be born again, carrying with us, the perspective of heaven, the understanding of God, embracing the revelation of his kingdom, we must therefore take full ownership over our own choices.
We must be transparent, open, and honest, in our own self evaluation of our own choices. And regarding the choices of those around us, we need to be as wise as serpents. We cannot afford to be deceived, nor manipulated by those who were serving clearly another master. “Can two walk together, except a be agreed?” How can we join ourselves to those who serve other gods?
What fellowship does light have with darkness?
The answer is none. So we cannot give into, nor choose to water down our own decisions, our own choices, our own loyalties, our own priorities, by not discerning, those who are walking in disagreement with us, and those who are walking in duplicity all around us.
2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (KJV) 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
The implications inherent in this verse, will dramatically impact the heart, mind, soul, and spirit the one who is devoted to God, desiring to do his will, and dedicated to walking in the light as he is in the light.
The bottom line: when we walk in fellowship in the light, and we seek to live out the values of God, the plans of God, the commandments of God, the will of God, doing the work of God, and incorporating his priorities into our daily schedules walking in the kingdom of God together can become like heaven on earth. But, when we try to live by the word of God, but don’t cut ties with the world, with the flesh, with the devil, with the old way of doing things, and we try to put 1 foot in the world, and 1 foot in the kingdom of God, this kind of life becomes like hell on earth.
That is not Jesus intention for our lives. Thus call to loyalty. Thus the call to duty. Thus the call to, obedience, and faithfulness. These are not things Jesus needs from us as much as we need them for ourselves. As the world drifts away from God, there will be a greater ripping apart of faults fellowship from true. There will be divisions among us. That is unavoidable. The question remains on which side of the division do we want to take our stand?
If we try to appease people, we will lose our loyalty to Christ. If we maintain our loyalty and faithfulness to Christ, we will be condemned. We will be slandered. We will be gossiped about. We will be marked, ridiculed, despised, and rejected. That is just par for the course.
That is the very reason Jesus tells us at the beginning of this same sermon that we are to rejoice in that day, and be glad, for so they treated the prophets who walked before us. Blessed are you when men persecute you and say all kind of manner of evil against you falsely.
Matthew 5:11-12 (KJV)Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.