Opting Out
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:24 NASB
Cannot serve– It’s not possible to “opt out” in the Hebrew worldview. Choosing not to participate is still a choice. There are no neutral positions. In the Greek paradigm, I can choose not to participate because I am an independent, detached observer of life. Nature is everything except me. I can watch what happens on the stage of life and decide when I will get involved. But in Hebrew thought, I am one of the actors in the drama. Every move I make changes the outcome of the play. Even exiting the stage is part of the drama. The only audience in the theater is God. Everything else is the performance.
Yeshua understood this perfectly. The only choice in life is who you serve, not if you serve. And since the only choice is about the recognition of your authority, you can’t have two sovereigns at the same time. One will always be the last word on the matter.
We often think that Yeshua’s comment is about the choice between God and money, but I wonder if that’s really true. Money is just folded time. It’s a symbolic representation of what we value. It’s not valuable in itself. If that’s the case, then money is really a manifestation of me, and insofar as it represents my ultimate concerns, it symbolizes me as master of my choices. Perhaps the verse ought to read, “You cannot serve God and self.”
Of course, we acknowledge the wisdom of this claim. The problem isn’t cognitive. The problem is that even though we realize what Yeshua said is correct, we still operate on the self-service basis. We do what we think is best for us. We choose those things that satisfy our needs (including, by the way, the need to think of ourselves as altruistic). We rarely spend ourselves on behalf of others without any thought of ego-credit. When Yeshua says that we cannot serve both ends, he makes it quite clear that the yetzer ha’ra will automatically oppose the yetzer ha’tov unless there is a deliberate intervention in direction. And that’s the most difficult part, isn’t it? That choice when we realize that if we continue on the present path, no matter how “justifiable” it is, we will end up serving self rather than the King. That’s the moment of confrontation when the will to do what is ultimately right is confronted with the desire to do what we deem expediently acceptable. Moshe Luzzatto spent a lot of time in his book, Mesillat Yesharim, examining that specific moment because he believed that unless we can anticipate that moment, we will discover too late that it is already upon us and we are swept into the service of the self before we know it.
Perhaps you and I need to reflect on the last time we got caught in the tide. Perhaps next time we won’t go near the water.
Topical Index: choice, serve, master, Matthew 6:24
Shalom . Skip and the Gang ; sometimes my thoughts don’t fit what the rest of you are saying. I hope today I’m spot on. I’ve been struggling with friends who are under the grace movement. Romans replies what shall we say then if we are not under the law but under grace shall we send all the more. Heaven forbid.. As I continue to read and study that chapter of Romans goes on to say something very interesting the spirit of the law leads to death. But the law of the. Spirit leads to life and righteousness and holiness. I read it right, capital S on. Spirit, Hallelujah a whole confirmation on serving two masters. I would choose the law of the. Spirit. hope this helps someone as it did me. Shalom
P.S. This was Romans chapter 8.
BB I understand this a little differently. I will explain this with modern law principles.
Do I live by the spirit of the law if I stop at a STOP sign because the law says I must. This attitude will guide and direct me throughout my life and cause me to get angry every time someone skips the stop sign. This creates sin as I anger and curse others not following the law as well as having content for the law enforcers as they are not there when the law is being broken. This attitude makes me conform because I fear punishment.
Do I live for the law of the spirit I stop at the STOP sign as of saves and protects all road users. This attitude makes me a conformer because I see grace and mercy. When others break the law I seek opportunities to remind them of the danger involved with their actions. I do not curse them and wish law enforcement agencies were available. I let my light shine as an example for others to also find grace and mercy…
Do we have faith because we fear eternal damnation or do we have faith because the lifestyle makes us free contributors to life without expecting something in return… And we live fully and free…
Equally important to your analogy would be if you roll through a stop sign at one mile per hour and are charged by a cop for not stopping but you plead not guilty to a judge and agree that you did not FULLY stop as the law is written in words, but you intended to do so if necessary, what would the judge do? Judge by the letter or the spirit, intent?
The letter.
That’s cuz judges work for the most part, for the kingdom of the state they’re elected by. However, I’ve found that compassion is often displayed if you speak as a friend and not an enemy. (At least in the states) But, compassion breeds compassion, and disdain, disdain and we have to start somewhere.
Hello All,
I am in the midst of a life struggle myself and this hits on a nerve for me. I am at the point of searching for a new career in life for several reasons:
I am bored and need something to do with my life that uses my energy in a purposeful way.
I feel I have too much in me left to do/give to not find this thing that I should do
I don’t feel I have fulfilled all that I was meant to do in my life yet
I want to help my family financially
Now here is the struggle. I want to make a LOT of money also for several reasons:
So we can have a nice home and live where I want
So my husband can retire
So I have enough to travel
And so I never have to think twice about giving when there is a need
So who am I serving???
How do I reconcile all of the above? It seems so conflicting to me. Those in the Torah who had material wealth were called blessed. So what’s the difference if we have wealth or work towards it and if they had wealth and work towards it? I am truly conflicted please any thoughts?
Nicely shared and that is a good starting point. Here is my very short take on your sharing. The just shall life by faith. And faith alone! And without faith it is impossible to please Him. And faith is action. In Him we live and move, and have our being. What Grace to know Him and to be loved by Yahuwah. His son Yahusha and Yahuwah’s Spirit be with you. Much Shalom Cheryl
Thank you Hendry.
Cheryl
I want to be financially free too! I am interested in writing books because I want to write about subjects that I believe are important regardless of my ability or lack of. Receiving residual income sounds good to me but it’s not the reason I got interested in writing and publishing books. Just need TIME and discipline.
Residual income is something I am also interested in right now. It’s confusing to most people because of preconceived ideas and because almost all of the companies out there are just recruiting salesman. People don’t know the difference. I remember Skip mentioning a type of network marketing approach to being ‘mentors’ in one of the talks he gave somewhere. Pass it forward basically.
Companies like ‘Life is Good’ (a t-shirt company) and ‘Origami Owl’ (a jewelry company) inspire me. Both started with simple ideas. I just had a t-shirt designed and printed. Now I need to sell the shirts! All takes time! It’s my third attempt but the first 2 were not practical ideas. I am going to design and print another one as soon as I can afford to do that. It’s to spread a message.
I don’t know you so I don’t know what to recommend but I recently read an article about following your passion that I thought was good. I am still hoping to win a powerball lottery but I haven’t stopped working on other projects! Ha ha
How vivid the memory of my first exposure to Matt 6:24.
Perhaps like most of us, it took me years to honestly grapple
with the consequences of choosing the right Master. I knew who
was right, but I was deeply tied up with and committed to myself.
Ah, but for the gracious longsuffering of the Lord! While I did my best
to stay in His Word and abide in Him, He went to work and performed His
works of spiritual surgery on my very natural heart.
Just recently He presented me with a test of how well I was proceeding with
Him as my Master. My wife’s daughter, my step-daughter, has been battling
stage 4 cancer in her lungs and brain. Since May16th He has miraculously
orchestrated and perfectly timed our arrival at the hospital emergency ward
just 5 minutes after her arrival, as we had just completed an 8 hour 3 state drive
to be with her. We had no prior knowledge of her newly dire condition.
Long story short, we were able to make provisions to transport her back
to our home state to a 5* facility only to see another sudden rapid decline.
How she then got into a magnificent 6 bed hospice house can only be
answered by God Himself. With great care and with no pain, she passed on
very peacefully this past Wednesday.
I’m so grateful He was in complete Masterful control during every single moment.
No way I could have been. The right choice means everything.
I’m sorry for your loss,it sounds so incomplete but you sharing what you did was a real act of giving. Having done hospice for years it just doesn’t happen at all like you described! When God orchestrates a situation his timing is supreme .Leaves Know doubt who’s doing it.
Rich, Our condolences to your wife, you and the entire family during this time of sorrow. Just as we get no choice if and when we are born, neither do we get to choose if we will die or the time of our departure, but sometimes, in His great kindness, Yah arranges our passing so that our loved ones are able to be physically present with us as we transition into whatever is next. In doing so He shows us that He is the Creator not just of all flesh, but of time and space as well. Certainly your testimony bears this out. I believe that it was just as comforting and miraculous for her that you were there (even if she was unconscious) as it was to you. May He be glorified and may you be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. Shalom, Michael and Arnella
You and your family are in our prayers today. It was nice to meet you even though it was so fleeting a moment some while ago now in Sarasota. Your sharing is huge. Thank you and condolences to you all.
You cannot serve God and self.
So true!!!