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Oct 18, 2015

Treasure 2: The Problem with Two Masters

Passage: Matthew 6:24

Speaker: Rev. Vivian McCarthy, Pastor

Series: Treasure

Category: Discipleship, Stewardship

Keywords: heart, master, treasure

Abraham Lincoln was quoting Jesus when he said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. As we examine where our treasure lies (our money, time, and energy), we must look at our hearts. Do we have undivided hearts, or are we torn apart by too many obligations and masters? We are first called to love God with our whole heart, mind, and strength; then, when God is in the proper place in our hearts, the other things in our lives fall into place. God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14) who wants not just a piece of our hearts but all of us.

In the outline for this week’s sermon provided by the author, Jacob Armstrong mentions a vanity license plate issued, I guess, for homes where their college students go to different schools.  The plate, including the logos of two rival college football teams, quotes Abraham Lincoln:  A House Divided.

I’m reminded of Rich and his brothers who went to the two fiercely competitive high schools in Baltimore.  Rich and his brother Dennis went to City while his other two brothers – who shall not be named! – went to Poly.  The legendary City-Poly game, or Poly-City game, depending on your allegiance, was held every year on Thanksgiving.  Rich and I went together once, and the bus ride from Brooklyn to the old Memorial Stadium was more than a little tense as the competing sides were drawn long before we reached the stadium.  Rich’s dad, a no-nonsense Baltimore City police officer, banned discussion of the game for Thanksgiving dinner!

A house divided.  This phrase often – or maybe usually! -- reminds people of Abraham Lincoln’s famous speech in 1858. Lincoln was speaking about a nation divided on the issue of slavery. Who knows who Lincoln was quoting?

Jesus said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:24-25 NRSV). Jesus is telling us, in other words, that competing allegiances in a kingdom, a house, or a heart will lead to destruction. Division leads to war in which either there is constant strife or one side wins out.  (My beloved father-in-law was not a fan of strife at his dinner table!)

Last week we were challenged to consider where we are investing our hearts. I encouraged us all to look at where we spend our time, money, and energy, so we could see where our hearts are invested. If you weren’t with us last week, one easy way to check this investment is to look at our budget or our calendar. In doing so, most of us would find that our hearts indeed are divided. We have said yes to too many commitments, signed too many contracts, and swiped too many credit cards. Now we must work to pay off a bunch of stuff that doesn’t make us happy – especially in the long run.

Jesus says in Matthew 6 that no one can serve two masters. A person trying to do so will inevitably like one master and hate the other, be to devoted to one master and despise the other. Jesus says that we can’t serve both God and money. As we examine our lives, we may see that we have many more than two masters calling for hearts!

There are numerous challenges in scripture regarding the loyalties of the human heart.  In Jeremiah 29:13 -14, the prophet said, “13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the Lord.”  With all your heart.  Jeremiah and Jesus aren’t talking about just seeking God when we are in a tight place but seeking God for the living of our lives. 

Turn to the discussion guide (attached to this sermon file).  And for just a moment, ask yourself:

What does it mean to seek God with my whole heart?  What would it mean for God truly to be the master of my life?

When we are serving two, three, or ten masters and are dividing our hearts among them, we are not living as God intends us to. This may explain why we resent or even hate the things that pull us away from our intended treasure. We can end up hating our job or our boss, because they have become an unintended master in our lives.

Does this mean you can’t make money? No! Does this mean you can’t have a healthy relationship with money? No! It does mean that you can’t serve God and money. They can’t both be your master. You can’t live under the lordship of God and the lordship of money; you must choose.

I struggled to find a good illustration of this.  Honestly, I didn’t want to share what I am about to share with you.  In my last appointment, I was making a very good salary – the best of my life.  We did not have to struggle with money at all for about 8 or 9 years.  It was easy to give more than a tithe of our income – to give whenever our hearts were moved to give.  We could buy really nice gifts for the people we love, and I had a ball decorating our home and throwing very nice dinner parties.

For several months after I knew I was going to come here and how much of a change there would be in our income – especially since Rich had just recently become semi-retired! – I worried constantly about money.  I could say how excited I was to be going back to parish ministry – and truly mean it.  I could talk about how my 20-year dream was to get back to what God called me to do in the first place.  But my heart was struggling.

I can’t tie this one up with a neat little bow.  I can’t tell you what happened or how it got better.  It just did.  I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that God wanted me to be your pastor.  And eventually, I stopped worrying.  My heart turned.  I am at peace.  There is no pull from that other master – at least not right now!  My heart is not divided.

God doesn’t want shared allegiance. God doesn’t want a piece of your life. God wants to be everything to you. If you make Jesus Lord and Master, the other allegiances will find their proper place. You still will have to work and be committed to other people. But you will not have a heart or house or life that’s divided. You will be standing on firm ground.

This series is based on Treasure: A Stewardship Program on Faith and Money, written by Jacob Armstrong and published by Abingdon Press, 2014.