Which Master

Today’s Gospel Text:  "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. 25 "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? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day. Matt 6:24-34

Reflection: In the daily struggle of life we know of people who serve not only two but even more masters.

Today itself I came across a person who goes from house to house to perform the daily household chores in order to survive.

How long can this person go on? All of us who labor to feed themselves and survive, one day we may have to hang our boots and seek to lead a life of retirement or relaxation.

But in that ultimate struggle of life which includes all our activities, with the ultimate goal in mind, we cannot serve two masters.

Yet, many of our struggles in life is serving either the two masters or the many masters or even if it is only the one master we serve then it is not the master who can lead us to eternity but the master that can lead us hell; whether it means serving our selves or serving the devil, it means the same.  

In other words, whatever the number of masters we may serve in the ultimate count we are making a choice for either one of the two.

These words of Jesus are a caution for each one of us. He would not have given us these words if it was not a reality among men to serve two masters.

Hence life is a constant choice and every choice we make effects our choice for either one of the masters.

There are no fence sitters in this choice, no neutral parties, and no non-aligned individuals: you either leaning on Jesus’ side or you are leaning on the side of the devil.

What if you do not know the master; Jesus Christ?

It still means the same: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” Matt 12:30

Even in the Old Testament it was the same and no in-betweens:    

"Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which you have not known. Deut 11:26-28

Prayer:  Lord it is at times difficult to make a choice but not impossible because of what you have achieved for us on the cross; your perfect love for us makes all things possible.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us