On Matthew 6:24…
Grace and Peace from Our Lord Jesus Christ!
I was reading an article online that pointed out the chiastic structure of Matthew 6:24:
“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.”
You can see for yourself easier than I can explain how a chiasm is designed [my apologies to you reading this on the web, the pdf showed the structure better…you would indent the second and second to last line, the third and third to last line you would indent twice, etc.]. The first and last things are
similar, the second and second to last things are similar, and the points at the center are similar. And it is worth
noting that the parallel lines are not merely two ways of saying the same thing, but the second line advances it.
“No one can serve two masters” is advanced by saying, “You cannot serve God and money.” (Actually the
Semitic word translated “money” is a word for money and possessions.)
The idea of hatred is advanced to despising and loving to being devoted. The second line is more specific and takes the idea a step forward.
Jesus is teaching us in this verse that we are to be devoted to God alone – that we cannot serve God and money/possessions. The first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Those words, “Before me” mean “in the presence of God.” He is our only God and we are to love Him alone – to be devoted to Him.
We can see from your generous giving that you are devoted to Him and not to stuff/money. After all, it does not take long to discover that only God can be trusted to provide for us and deliver us.
In Christ,
Pastor Justin
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