Serving Two Masters

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Scripture: Luke 16:13 (NRSV)
13 No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Devotion:
            For his 1979 album entitled Slow Train Coming, Bob Dylan wrote a song entitled Gonna Serve Somebody. Who you serve will determine the level of peace in your life as well as in the lives of those around you. We may not bow down to idols made of wood and metal as our ancestors did but whatever it is in your life that lays claim on your heart is an idol to you.
            For some people it is a sports team or sports in general. They serve their team by watching and cheering for them faithfully. Some people have television shows that they are addicted too. I have been told by folks at one place I preach that we could get more people if we moved the time. It seems that some people have no qualms about choosing to watch a TV show rather that come to worship God. Think about it would you go to church rather than miss your favorite TV show? Or would you risk missing a big game because you were in a church?
            Some individuals are addicted to their political parties. The last few weeks have shown us this very clearly. But I will remind the political partisans that God is not a Democrat or Republican. If you have any doubts about this just search each party’s platform from the last election and tell me if you can find anything about either party being dedicated to bringing the Kingdom of God to earth. You cannot.  You may find a cursory mention of God’s name. You may even find the words peace and justice, but you will not find the Biblical vision of the Kingdom anywhere.
            People also make idols of the particular denomination or “brand” of church they attend. These folk think that unless you are Reformed or Wesleyan, or whatever that you are bound to go to hell. John the Baptist was not a Southern Baptist and Jesus Christ was not an evangelical. (I know that will shock some of you.) God is God and we are not. There is no “right” kind of Christian. Your church may be very conservative or very liberal and still be a place where Christians gather for worship.
            Joshua said in the biblical book that bears his name “… But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” This is the attitude God cherishes among God’s servants. God looks for those whose hearts are not devoted to sport teams or television shows. God is searching for the undivided heart that seeks God only. Because God knows that only through such a heart can God begin the work of peacemaking in the world.

Prayer:
            Purify our hearts dear Lord. Try them by fire until they are pure and totally devoted to you and your kingdom. Make us to be single-minded servants of the one true God. Help us as we seek to make peace with you and with our neighbors. Strengthen us for the fight, for our enemy will not give up trying to distract us with the things of sin, the world, or the flesh. Give us the victory that is found in the blood of Jesus Christ alone. For until we have assurance of that victory we will not be fit to be the peacemakers God intends us to be. Amen.






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