MAMMON: No One Can Serve Two Masters

 

In Matthew 6:24, Christ gave a strong warning: “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 money.” In some translations we read, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (NKJV), which I find especially striking because it captures the personification Jesus intended. By keeping the word “mammon” rather than translating it simply as “money,” it almost sounds like a name. The term comes from the Aramaic mamona, meaning “riches,” “possession,” or “property.” Here, Jesus did not merely refer to money as if it were just coins that someone can put in their pocket and toss aside; instead, He described it as an idol, a force that can rival God in the devotion of people and enslave those who serve it.

Christ was never against having money. After all, who doesn’t need it? (If you really don’t, feel free to send some my way.) Scripture actually gives plenty of guidance on handling wealth. In the same passage, Jesus speaks of storing treasures in heaven (vv. 19–21) and of having a “good eye” or a “bad eye” (vv. 22–23), a Jewish idiom for being generous or stingy. Then in verse 24 He warns that we cannot serve two masters. In other words, do not give Mammon the love and loyalty that belong only to God. In the parallel account in Luke 16, Jesus teaches that money should be used wisely and faithfully (vv. 8–12): “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth (Aramaic mamona), who will trust you with true riches?” (v. 11). His point is clear: money can be a useful servant when managed well, but it becomes a cruel master when treated carelessly. No wonder later Christian writers began to portray Mammon almost like a demon—an image that fits, because wealth can be deeply tempting and enslaving.

Just look around. Watch the news. Corruption is everywhere. We see countless people sacrificing relationships, dignity, morality, and even faith on the altar of Mammon. Many cannot break free—and some do not even want to. As believers we are repeatedly warned of this danger: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim. 6:10). The writer of Hebrews urges us, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Heb. 13:5). Stay Curious.

Sources and Studies:

Walton J. and, Craig K. (2016). “See footnotes for Matthew 6:23-24”. 𝘕𝘐𝘝 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. (p.1622-1623 ). Zondervan Publishing.
Van der Horst, P. W. (1999). "Mammon". In K. van der Toorn, B. Becking, & P. W. van der Horst (Eds.), 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 (2nd ed., pp. 542–543). Grand Rapids, MI / Leiden, The Netherlands: W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company & Brill Academic Publishers.