Matthew 6:24-25 - No one can serve two masters

Scripture Matthew 6:24-25

"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 mammon.

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?





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Attachment to Things

Our enslaving attachment to things prevents our inner freedom. How to overcome it?



We make too many concessions to the world, as a result, we condemn ourselves and those around us to mediocrity.



Today, it is tremendously difficult to live amidst the world and not succumb before the spirit of the world. The saints compare it to a cobweb which traps men and women and never lets them go.

Create a New World
We must live differently from the others. We have to act differently in marriage, in family life, in business and employment, in politics, in all our relationships. In all of these areas, we are to distinguish ourselves from others by means of our Christlike character.

The first Christians had the audacity to be different and therefore, they created a new world, a world filled with Christian values.

To be different often means to appear crazy as the first Christians did.

It also means to do battle against sin in all of its forms, beginning with oneself, but also battling against the many situations of sin in the world which surrounds us, such as, abortion and same sex union.

The first Christians were willing to give themselves up for the new creation, and became martyrs for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

They would say: Non sine sanguine, not without blood.

Without blood, the world does not transform itself nor does the Kingdom of God advance.

God is his perfect will permits the blood of martyrdom, but he might be asking much less from you.

Are you willing to go the extra mile for the sake of the Kingdom?

Thus, in spite of everything, we have to dare to be different, to appear crazy, to battle against the evil in ourselves and thus live in advance the world of tomorrow.

Lifestyle
On the other hand, it is necessary that we consequently cultivate a style of evangelical poverty in our life. God asks us to conquer an austere style of life centered on being more and not on having more, centering on having confidence in God and his loving providence and not trusting in our material goods.

Therefore, we must create a new style of living, simpler and more solid.

For example, let us think about our clothing, our food, our types of parties, our vacations, our homes, our gadgets, our cars, etc. Do these reflect Jesus’ lordship in your life? Are they instruments to take the Gospel to others?

Also in our social interactions we should seek concrete ways of being able to grow in simplicity and moderation, in how to become unattached and how to be supportive and share. A Christian cannot allow himself to be guided in this area by the society of consumerism or by the materialistic or secular culture.

We have to be different. We must live the Christian way.

We should distinguish ourselves from the others by our simple and restrained lifestyle, by our independence from the society of consumerism.


Source: by Father Nicolás Schwizer

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