Reflections - God and Mammon

God and Mammon

You can serve only one - not both

What does it mean to serve?

A doctor serves his patient. A chartered accountant serves his client. An engineer serves the company that builds bridges or runs the railway network. The General in the army too serves - his country, as do his commandants, officers and men. The pastor serves his congregation.

Jesus was Master, but He stooped to serve, when He washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17). He enjoined them to do the same.

Professionals in all disciplines, serve. That's why they persevere in their studies and in training. They don't do it for money, though it costs a handsome amount to become a professional. Money is the by-product of what they do and how good they are at what they do. Fruits of one’s labor is always well-deserved.

And, then there are the bad apples on a good fruit tree (respected profession); weeds among growing wheat. Their practice and malpractice are to make money and squander money, by themselves or by fate. Be sure, the weeds will get their just comeuppance.

"At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn." Jesus' Parable; Matthew 13:24-43

To be a professional – a true professional – requires intelligence of a higher order, to understand the complexities of the profession, familiarity with its science, hours of practice … to understand the practice. And, professionals often have a mentor to guide them. Someone they look up to guide them in the nuances of their profession … more importantly, how to be a real good one.

Jesus, in that sense, was a true professional.

He started his ministry only when he was 30. Akin to a medical student getting his MD and then DM degree. He put in hours of study, praying to His Father in Heaven, listening to His Mother (Mary), while helping His father, Joseph, to help make ends meet, through the profession of carpentry. 

Even after such thorough preparation, Jesus continued to pray during His ministry to His Father, before dawn or late at night, to be guided, for the project He had taken on was enormous. He could not do it on His own. He too needed a mentor. The ultimate one, at that.

A non-professional, without a skill or level of education, tends to lean on speculation. One unschooled in finance buys stocks in a company, he becomes a part owner, bearing all the risks if the company fails and profits when the company does well.

The unschooled investor does not do anything to contribute to the company’s growth. He is merely gambling with the company’s prospects. He may hit pay dirt, or lose his investment. He is a ‘punter’ taking his chances.

The punter likes to ‘luck it. To become rich from the ‘sweat and toil’ of another without putting in any effort himself. He has no developed skills or a practice or ability to trade in goods or run a business, all of which requires insight, hard work, and complete oversight; complete charge.

Instead, he places himself at the mercy of others - their capabilities and competencies -who may fail him, for they are fallible, and he cannot do ‘nothing’ about it, when they fail.

On the other hand, the professional knows that the harder he works, and more intelligently he applies himself to the task, the better his prospects; the richer he grows. 

When calamities occur; they happen to all. Not just to the hardworking. But, also to the lazy and the speculators.

The difference?

The one known to work hard, is able to pick himself up and start again. He knows his craft, his market, his customers, his competition, his opportunities, his threats. He is ‘present’ to all outcomes and ready to deal with it.

The man who speculates on stocks or anything that has gambling written on it, cannot pick himself up. He was never in control.

A crisis lays the speculator down harder than the man who worked hard all his life. For just for such a day. He knows in life ‘’stuff’’ happens and he may to start all over again. He is game for it.

He has done it before and knows what to do to rebuild the business on a dime - at a fraction of the time it took to build it earlier. The time he has spent learning the craft would help him recoup, and be restored. The speculator succumbs, not knowing what hit him, and often gives up his life.

When we compare the professional, who makes money the hard way, and the punter, who hopes to make it the easy way, we get some insight into what St Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:9-10:

“Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

You can apply the analogy of the professional and the punter to our faith walk.

Are we really working hard to understand what God wants of us? Are we glorifying God in what we do who has bequeathed us with the talent? Do we even acknowledge the talent we have? Do we know who He would like us to serve for which He has given us this talent?

Do we turn to God only in a "storm" and hope, instead of knowing for sure, that Jesus rebuked the wind, and the storm dissipated? (Matthew 8:23-27)

There are so many questions we need to ask of ourselves with only one objective: in all we do, are we moving toward the salvation of our soul, and eternal life; or are we unknowingly, like the foolish punter, speculating on what 'life after' is all about, if in fact, there is a ‘life after’; paving their way to perdition.

If there is confusion on the question of ‘afterlife’; there’s much confusion in the mind of the Christian about “God and Money”.

Because Mathew 6:24 says: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (money).”

The answer to both the questions is the same: Knowing God’s Will in our life.

Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew and their fishing mates, had not caught anything after a whole night of fishing. Then Jesus from the shore instructs Simon to “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4). The catch was so huge, the boat nearly sank.

That moment, that very moment, they knew Jesus was the Messiah they have been waiting for over two millennium (2000 years) for Moses had said to the Israelites:

"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him." (Deuteronomy 18:15)

The apostles on the boat did exactly that.

When Jesus said, “Come follow me, I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19), the apostles on the boat left their fishing nets; and others, who were so called, abandoned their sources of income, took leave from their families and followed Jesus.

Matthew, ostracized by his own people, but admired by the Roman garrison head (Praetor) for his resourceful in collecting taxes, dropped everything too, and walked away from the tax collection booth, when Jesus, passing by, called out to him, “Matthew, follow me”.

They all left everything – their homes and families - to follow Jesus.

Today, how do we follow Jesus, and to “martyrdom”, which was the fate of all 10 apostles (except John the Evangelist), St Paul, St Stephen, and many early Christians, who the Romans considered to be trouble makers, with all the talk of crucified and resurrected Christ, conversions and salvation, which all came to a head during Emperor Nero’s time (54-68 AD).

The persecution of the church still continues and those who preach and practice the faith still face difficulties and death in some countries, but it is not 54-68 AD for most of us.

What is our “martyrdom” when most of us Christians live a safe, comfortable, and privileged life.

Some Christians are very rich – from inheritance or hard work; and some are not, and some very deeply so.

The question of “martyrdom” - giving up something we deeply value - in these days of relative freedom (vs. Roman occupation of Jews) could revolve around the question of do we “serve two masters” – God and Mammon?

Matthew 25:40 tells us what Jesus said about following Him in our times:

"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

It is for each one of us to examine ourselves on this question of “serving” God and “de-serving” Mammon, based on what the Word of God through the Holy Spirit lays upon our hearts regarding the same.

“For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12

However, when it comes to others, we need to remember Luke 6:37

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

This is so important for us to understand in the context of the question of “Serving two masters”

Let us not judge others on whether they are serving God or Mammon. Let the Holy Spirit convict them.

Instead, let our prayer be, at every examination of our conscience, “Precious Holy Spirit, convict me, should I err on the matter of the master I serve”

To intellectualize the issue of serving ‘God and Mammon’ beyond a point would be to miss the forest for the trees.

The real sense of it, we will only have, when we are breathing our last, contemplating what’s beyond, but alive enough to say, ‘I served God’.