YouTube: The Mammon Issue
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
For many, this statement has been somewhat confusing. It seems to suggest that we set aside our material needs and interests and devote ourselves to a contemplative life of prayer. Considering other statements from Jesus, I do not think this is what he meant. He acknowledged that we have material needs, and seeking first the kingdom would assure these needs would be met.
We should not think of mammon strictly as a quest for material gain, but more as how we think of our center of power. Do we draw our power from without—from positions and possessions—or are we empowered from within?
A child who fears there is a bear under their bed will find comfort and empowerment in a night-light. But where does this bear live? In this case, mammon is the belief in the reality of the bear. As long as the child believes in the bear, the night-light will provide a sense of protection. The ultimate protection from the bear, however, is the realization that it is a figment of the imagination. The child who comes to this realization has transitioned from serving mammon (unfounded fear) to serving God, their true center of power.
An actual night-light is, of course, a good and useful accessory. And bears that stay out from under our beds are okay too. The point is that we want to recognize those times when we are relying on some form of mammon to alleviate a fear that can and should be permanently eliminated. We want to connect with that indwelling, empowering spirit that enables us to walk fearlessly through life, and to know when challenges arise, and they will, that we have the means to handle them. To seek first the kingdom doesn’t mean that we leave our doors unlocked or forego practical self-protective measures. It means we find our true center of power first within ourselves, dispel imagined bears, and live with the peace and confidence of the eternal being that we are.