Serving God, or Mammon.
By Pract. Christian
Matt. vi, 24. Mammon is said to be the Syrian god of riches, wealth, money—like Plutus among the Romans—and as such worshiped. Whether this be true or not, Jesus plainly personifies riches, wealth, money, as a god—an idol, standing in rivalry with the true God for the love, worship and service of mankind. Covetousness, that is, the inordinate desire for riches or money, is therefore set down truly in the New Testament Scriptures as idolatry. And there can be no worse idolatry. Its fundamental maxim is, Get money, rightfully if you must, but be sure and get money. Mammon has always had a vast multitude of devoted worshipers; God our heavenly Father, but few. Why? Because, as yet, the lower and more selfish affections of mankind have greatly predominated. Men have been developed more as intellectual animals, than as loving and wise spirits. Jesus came forth on a higher plane, to teach and illustrate by example the true love and wisdom, without which man can never be eminently and permanently happy—without which he cannot fulfill his destiny. In order to this, the material must be subjected to the spiritual, and animal propensities to divine principles. The desires of the animal nature are sensual and selfish. The loves of the God-inspired soul are spiritual and unselfish. They "bless and curse not." They sacrifice self whenever it rises up against God and his righteousness, or against the good of fellow men. They find their own highest good in the highest good of all, and the highest good of all in doing the will of God who is the infinitely Loving and Wise Father of all. Consequently, as no man can serve two masters with love and fidelity, no man can serve God and mammon. One of them must be supreme, and the other subordinate. If God is first in the reverence and love of the soul, mammon must take the place of a subject, a mere convenience. If mammon is first in the soul's love and homage, God must take the place of a subject, a mere convenience. There is no other alternative. We see that this is practically true the world over. And we see that the vast majority of mankind make mammon supreme, and God subordinate. Every man who for the sake of getting or keeping money, persistently takes advantage of his neighbor—lies, cheats or deceives—grinds, oppresses or extorts—refuses or neglects to pay his just debts—refuses or neglects to relieve the distresses of his suffering fellow creatures—or hoards up wealth to doat on, or to use for any purpose contrary to the commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself—every such man serves mammon, not God. He loves mammon more than he loves God. He obeys mammon and disobeys God. He worships mammon, not God. He is a mammonite. Every such man prefers worldly gain to righteousness. The moment he is compelled to choose whether he will do right and lose money, or do wrong and save money, he goes for mammon against God and his righteousness. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." How true! How little considered! How generally disregarded, even by the disciples of Christ. It is a great thing to be practical Christians—not much to be nominal ones.
—Pract. Christian.