‘you cannot serve god and mammon’
A practical application
February 20th 2013
Undeniably, many people have a good heart and sincerely want to help others. But while they are asking themselves how they can be of help, they are often also seeking to accommodate their own highly selfish interests. We see this even with states. When rich countries claim they are helping poor countries, what exactly are they doing? They make sure they recover in another way the equivalent of what they have given, or even more. And so, despite a few positive aspects, the solutions they offer do not produce particularly good results.
This is what Jesus meant when he said, ‘No one can serve two masters;… you cannot serve God and mammon.’ This is the law. It is impossible to satisfy your lofty aspirations as well as your base instincts; you cannot be selfish and generous at the same time. You have to choose.