you can't serve both God and money

[John Z. S. Kazi]

Jesus says you can't serve both God and money but paul says he who does not work does not eat. isn't working the same as serving money?

 

[Ken-1122]

Jesus says you can't serve both God and money but paul says he who does not work does not eat. isn't working the same as serving money?

No. To serve is to value it to the point of putting it above yourself

 

[John Z. S. Kazi]

No. To serve is to value it to the point of putting it above yourself

you are a slave to whoever you obey. if you obey your boss because your boss gives you money, you are a slave to money.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I believe Jesus is not talking about having money, but about loving money. Or, in other words, He is warning us not to make the accumulation of wealth the priority in our life more so than the Kingdom of God. He is talking about putting God first. We all need money to survive, and it is money that supports many missions and good works. Money is not evil in and of itself. It's what we do with it that can be evil. Our lives should not be about coveting wealth.

 

[Brother-Mike]

Seconding what @Ken-1122 said... this is about idolatry, not self-sustenance.

After all, without a job how would you be able to support your church, or give to the homeless, or be able to help out others in times of financial need. And Jesus and the apostles all took money from benefactors to be able to spread the Good News.

 

[Robban]

Jesus says you can't serve both God and money but paul says he who does not work does not eat. isn't working the same as serving money?

The first million is usually most difficult,

 

[John Z. S. Kazi]

Seconding what @Ken-1122 said... this is about idolatry, not self-sustenance.

After all, without a job how would you be able to support your church, or give to the homeless, or be able to help out others in times of financial need. And Jesus and the apostles all took money from benefactors to be able to spread the Good News.

and yet He told the rich man to sell EVERYTHING he has. think about that. i don't understand why we christians have to be at the bottom of the pyramid.

 

[John Z. S. Kazi]

The first million is usually most difficult,

i know. someone who gets an inheritance can easily live his life without working hard at all. again, Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go though the eye of the needle.

 

[timothyu]

isn't working the same as serving money?

No.. but it can be gotten by earning it or by gain at the expense of others. Also money can be used for the benefit of others rather than self as most are prone to do. Money is not the problem. Attitude is. That is why Jesus was so intent on us repenting of our self serving ways.

 

[Ken-1122]

you are a slave to whoever you obey. if you obey your boss because your boss gives you money, you are a slave to money.

Going by that logic, you are a slave to…..

* the police because you obey the speed limit when driving your car
* The grocery store because you pay what they ask before taking what you need,
* The hospital because you pay (either via insurance or other means) when you need treatment

I could go on and on, I think you get the point; see how ridicules that sounds? A slave is someone who preforms labor without payment; it has nothing to do with being obedient.

 

[Ken-1122]

you are a slave to whoever you obey. if you obey your boss because your boss gives you money, you are a slave to money.

Going by that logic, you are a slave to…..

* the police because you obey the speed limit when driving your car
* The grocery store because you pay what they ask before taking what you need,
* The hospital because you pay (either via insurance or other means) when you need treatment

I could go on and on, I think you get the point; see how ridicules that sounds? A slave is someone who preforms labor without payment; it has nothing to do with being obedient.

 

[dqhall]

i know. someone who gets an inheritance can easily live his life without working hard at all. again, Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go though the eye of the needle.

One might carry a heavy load when he is young. He can not do the same when he is old, whether he has an inheritance or not. A squirrel gathers acorns before winter and hides them for later use, else it will die.

I have seen that poverty is not salvation. God is salvation. A man who has a trade and works diligently will have enough to eat. Jesus’ yoke is light. An ox was yoked to the plow. The yoke Jesus made fit well. A farmer had to use his oxe(n) to plow in season for a chance to reap what he sowed.

Remember the Good Samaritan had money. He was not afraid to help a wounded neighbor. God commended him for his rescue work. Another man who had money walked past the wounded man without stopping to help.

 

[Robban]

i know. someone who gets an inheritance can easily live his life without working hard at all. again, Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go though the eye of the needle.

There was a village, the villagers were not wealthy, except one, he was seen with contempt by the villagers.

"That rotten miser" they would refer to him as.

It was so in the village they would go to the butcher, baker, cobbler and to those who
traded according to their needs,

not always could they afford what they needed, so they would put it on the slate,
and it turned out they did not need to pay.

This went on for years, one day the rotten miser died, he was not considered worthy
to be buried in the local cemetery, so he was buried alone on a hill outside of the village.

Soon after the villagers continued going to the butcher, baker, cobbler and so on,
but they were met with a "Sorry, no more on the slate".

They then realized that the rotten miser had been paying for them all along.

 

[Nicole7777]

Jesus says you can't serve both God and money but paul says he who does not work does not eat. isn't working the same as serving money?

I think if it's you worship money

 

[John Z. S. Kazi]

Going by that logic, you are a slave to…..

* the police because you obey the speed limit when driving your car
* The grocery store because you pay what they ask before taking what you need,
* The hospital because you pay (either via insurance or other means) when you need treatment

I could go on and on, I think you get the point; see how ridicules that sounds? A slave is someone who preforms labor without payment; it has nothing to do with being obedient.

that is not my logic, but the bible's. read romans 6:16. barter is a form of contract. israel is told not to make contracts with the surrounding nations in the ot. so also the church will not make contracts with the heathen in the age to come. my point is that being in this world, we are slaves to things that we won't be slaves to in heaven. we are slaves to money in this world and we are cursed to hate working for money if we love the Lord.

 

[Robban]

There was a village, the villagers were not wealthy, except one, he was seen with contempt by the villagers.

"That rotten miser" they would refer to him as.

It was so in the village they would go to the butcher, baker, cobbler and to those who
traded according to their needs,

not always could they afford what they needed, so they would put it on the slate,
and it turned out they did not need to pay.

This went on for years, one day the rotten miser died, he was not considered worthy
to be buried in the local cemetery, so he was buried alone on a hill outside of the village.

Soon after the villagers continued going to the butcher, baker, cobbler and so on,
but they were met with a "Sorry, no more on the slate".

They then realized that the rotten miser had been paying for them all along.

There are misers and there are misers.

One misarable miser died, he was put before the heavenly tribunal.

The angels were gathered and it did not look so good for the miser,

but suddenly another angel appeared and told them to hang on a moment,

he had seen the miser give 25 cents to a starving beggar,

the angels put there heads together to discuss this turn in events.

After while they said they had reached their verdict,

What is your your verdict asked the late come angel.

They answered as in one voice,

Give him back his 25 cents and tell him to go to hell.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Jesus says you can't serve both God and money but paul says he who does not work does not eat. isn't working the same as serving money?

No. What a strange idea to equate work with money they are not the same thing. One may get others to give one money for one's work but much work that is accomplished is not tied to money in any way. I worked fie hours today in my vegetable garden. I will receive no money for doing so but I will reap two rewards for doing so. 1) a feeling of worth for the satisfaction that comes from the results of my labor 2) wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables that I and my family will eat and share with others.

 

[John Z. S. Kazi]

No. What a strange idea to equate work with money they are not the same thing. One may get others to give one money for one's work but much work that is accomplished is not tied to money in any way. I worked fie hours today in my vegetable garden. I will receive no money for doing so but I will reap two rewards for doing so. 1) a feeling of worth for the satisfaction that comes from the results of my labor 2) wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables that I and my family will eat and share with others.

work is something that we normally exchange for money. on a large scale, a vegetable farmer is eventually going to trade in his produce for money.

 

[John Z. S. Kazi]

There are misers and there are misers.

One misarable miser died, he was put before the heavenly tribunal.

The angels were gathered and it did not look so good for the miser,

but suddenly another angel appeared and told them to hang on a moment,

he had seen the miser give 25 cents to a starving beggar,

the angels put there heads together to discuss this turn in events.

After while they said they had reached their verdict,

What is your your verdict asked the late come angel.

They answered as in one voice,

Give him back his 25 cents and tell him to go to hell.

that ties in with christian teaching that our works (good deeds) are like filthy rags. they won't get us anywhere in the heavenly courts.

 

[grasping the after wind]

you are a slave to whoever you obey. if you obey your boss because your boss gives you money, you are a slave to money.

Bosses do not give us money. If by "our boss" you mean the owner of the agency or firm or corporation etc. that is employing us, then they are exchanging their money for our labor or for our time not giving it to us. We are not obeying them we are trading with them. We do not obey them we engage in a relationship with them of mutual respect hopefully. They give us what they desire us to do in exchange for their remuneration. We either agree to do so or not. I would suggest that no one is actually a slave to money. People are slaves to their greed and their envy in regard to money but money itself has no prominence over them their slavery is self-imposed and therefore they are slaves to their own desires. Work on the other hand can be selfless and for the good of others and involve money or not involve money. If one is unwilling to labor for their own good or for that of others one is not entitled to reap the rewards of work according to Paul and the little red hen neither of which was offering anyone any money for their labor.