SERMON ON THE MOUNT
NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS
COMMUNION SUNDAY
DR. JIM DIXON
MATTHEW 6:24
NOVEMBER 18, 2001
Certainly, the most famous slave in the history of the world was a man named Spartacus. The life of Spartacus was made famous by an award-winning movie by Hollywood which starred Kirk Douglas. That movie played loose with history as many Hollywood movies do, but historians tell us that Spartacus lived and died before the birth of Christ. He was born in Thrace. He was reared as a nomadic shepherd. He entered the Roman military and served in the Roman Legions. Historians tell us that Spartacus hated military life and so he just walked away, but defection and desertion was not acceptable in the Roman world. Roman authorities went after him. They found him. They apprehended him, and they forced him into slavery. Spartacus was very strong, and he was a skilled fighter. As a slave, he was forced to serve as a gladiator. Spartacus fought in Roman amphitheaters and in Roman hippodromes throughout the Roman world, and he became one of the most famous and renowned gladiators in the Roman world.
The year was 73 BC near the region of Apulia that Spartacus escaped. He escaped with some other slaves, and he led the greatest slave rebellion in the history of the world. Eventually 90,000 Roman slaves escaped and they found their way to Spartacus. He trained them near the region of Mt. Vesuvius, and he took his slave armies and went to war with Rome. Incredibly, historians tell us that Spartacus won five battles against Roman armies in Southern and Central Italy. Finally, in the year 71 BC, Spartacus met the vastly superior armies of Marcus Licinius Crassus. Spartacus was defeated. In that battle he died, and tens of thousands of his fellow slaves died. Six thousand slaves survived, and they were taken back to Rome to the Via Appia, and there along the Appian Way, 6,000 crosses were erected and those 6,000 slaves were crucified as a public spectacle, the Roman authorities wanting slaves through the Empire to know that rebellion would not be tolerated.
By any rational assessment, slavery is a horrible evil, a monstrous evil. Of course, in the United States of America, we have had our own dark chapter of our history where we bought and sold human beings. The scars still remain. And still, in the world today, there are pockets of slavery in remote corners of the earth. In the Southern Sudan, for instance, children are being sold into slavery almost every day. We all long for a day, we all pray for a day, when slavery will be completely eradicated from the earth; when, before God, all people will be viewed as equal, when no human being will call another human being “Master.”
The biblical word, the Greek word for “master” is the word “kurios.” This is the primary Greek word in the Bible for master, kurios. This word also can be translated as “lord.” It is a title of ownership. A kurios, a lord, a master, was one who was an owner. The reason a slave referred to his owner as master is because kurios means “owner.” It’s a title of ownership.
This is the word that’s used in our passage of scripture for today when our Lord Jesus Christ tells us “no one can serve two masters.” The word for serve is the strongest Greek word for service. It is the word “doulos,” which means “slave.” So, Jesus says to us, “No one can serve two masters.” He tell us, “you cannot serve both God and money; you cannot serve both God and mammon.”
As Christians, we recognize the fact that we have one master. We have one master. There is one owner, one who owns us, and that one is God. It is He that has made us, not we ourselves. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. He has said, “All souls are Mine. The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine. The soul of the mother as well as the soul of the daughter is mine.” He is the Owner. He is the Master. We acknowledge this as Christians. We call Jesus Christ “Master” because He is God’s Son. He is Immanuel. He is “God with us.” We also call Him Master because He has purchased us with His blood.
He says in this passage that we can’t have two masters. We can’t serve both God and money. The word for money here is the Aramaic word “mamona,” which means “mammon.” It referred to money or possessions or wealth. And so, this is the question that we are confronted with this morning. Are we serving Christ or are we serving money? It’s not really a theological or doctrinal question because doctrinally and theologically we would all affirm that there is one master, and we would all affirm that our Lord is Christ. But this is a very practical question. If we are serving Christ, is it reflected in the way we live? If we say we are not serving money, is THAT reflected in the way we live? We live in a very materialistic culture in a very materialistic nation.
Materialism has invaded the churches. This is particularly true in suburban America. Materialism has invaded the churches. There are many nominal Christians who serve the go mammon. If ever the church of Jesus Christ was in need of a slave rebellion, it is today. With regard to mammon, we need a slave rebellion. We need to renounce the yoke, the shackles, of money.
The Bible, in Mark, chapter 10, tells us that Jesus was in the region of Judea. He was east of the Jordan River. A man came up to Him. In Luke’s Gospel, we’re told that this man was a ruler. Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell us he was very rich. He was a rich young ruler. He was not only rich and young and powerful, but he was also very moral. We’re told that he was reared in Judaism and taught the Torah, the Pentateuch, the Decalogue, the Commandments of God, and he had sought to live his life from his earliest years by the commandments of God. He was a moral man. He was, by the world’s reckoning, a very good man, but he was not confident that he had eternal life and that his soul was bound for heaven.
And so, he approached Christ and said, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus, as He looked at this man and could see his heart, there was something He loved about him. Jesus said to him, “One thing you lack, if you would be My disciple. Go and sell all that you have. Sell it all. Give it to the poor. Give it away. Come and then follow Me. You will have treasure in heaven.” It’s very apparent that Jesus was giving this man a very special invitation. It’s apparent that He was inviting him to join the inner circle (perhaps the company of the twelve), to sell everything he had and come and follow Christ and begin to walk the holy land with Christ.
Jesus didn’t say to everybody what He said to this rich man. To some, He said, “Go back to your home. Tell your friends and neighbors what you’ve seen and heard.” But to this man He said, “Go. Sell all that you have.” The Bible says the rich man couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t do it. He went away exceedingly sorrowful, for he was very rich. That’s the test, isn’t it? That is the test of whether or not we serve the god mammon, whether or not we serve money. The real test is, do we give it away? CAN we give it away? How about you? How about me? Can we give it away?
In Luke, chapter 14, Jesus said, “Whoever does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Have you read that verse? “Whoever does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Have you renounced all that you have? Have I renounced all that I have? You see, if we renounce everything we have, then we’re going to be willing to give it away as He leads us. We’re going to be willing to give it away as He prompts us. This is what is to supremely characterize the Christian’s life in this world, the quality of giving, just sharing what we have; giving it to others.
On September 8, in the year 1935, a single bullet penetrated the body of United States Senator Huey Long as he came out of a legislative meeting in the Louisiana State Capitol. The bullet had been fired by a man named Carl Weiss, who hated Huey Long because Long had criticized his father-in-law. There was exchange of gunfire, and the authorities killed Carl Weiss. Huey Long, the United States Senator, should have lived. That bullet should not have killed him, but a mistake was made at the hospital, and they did not recognize the fact that his kidney had been punctured. Two days later, United States Senator Huey Long died of complications. Before he died, his final words were these: “Oh, God, don’t let me die. I have so much to do.” By the testimony of those gathered around his bed, those were his final words. “Oh, God, don’t let me die. I have so much to do.”
What did Senator Huey Long have to do? What was left for him to do? The Long family was and, of course is, famous in the state of Louisiana. Huey Long had been Governor of the State of Louisiana before he served as United States Senator. His younger brother, Earl Long, whose life story was made somewhat famous by Ron Shelton’s Hollywood movie “Blaze” (which really told the story of Earl Long’s affair with a Bourbon Street prostitute), was Governor of the State of Louisiana three different times.
Many members of the Long family have participated in public service, but it all began with Huey Long. Huey Long was corrupt. Democrats and Republicans all acknowledge this. He was corrupt and he was crude, but he had one virtue—at least one apparent virtue—and that was this: He cared about the poor. Huey Long, this United States Senator, cared about the poor. He wanted to be president. His campaign slogan was, “Share the wealth.” His other slogan was, “Every man a king.” “Share the wealth.” “Every man a king!” That’s what he longed for. How was that going to happen?
Huey Long believed the government was going to have to make it happen, and so he proposed an incredulous thing. He proposed that the United States government confiscate or seize every estate in America larger than $1 million. Can you believe that? Confiscate every estate in America larger than $1 million and that the wealth be redistributed. He promised every person in America would have a car. Every person in America would have a house. Every person in America would have a radio. This was prior to the days of television. Every person in America would be guaranteed by the government a salary of $2,500 a year, which in 1935 was the average salary in America.
Of course, if he had had his way, he would have taken all incentive away from the poor people of our country. They would have just lived off of handouts by the government. He would have virtually adopted socialism to our economic system in America. The reality is, and I think in this room we all know it, you can’t force people to share the wealth. Nobody can force you to share your wealth. Nobody can force you. The only issue is, “who’s your master?” You cannot serve God and money. If Jesus Christ is your Master, if He is your Master, you’ll share the wealth and you’ll use your money to bless people. You’ll help the poor, and you’ll further the work of Christ on this earth. Your giving will be radical if Jesus Christ is your only Master.
To get a biblical perspective on life, there are three really critical verses. The first verse I want you to remember is Philippians, chapter 3, verse 20. That verse tells us that our citizenship is in heaven. As we live life in this world, we need to remember we are citizens of heaven. Then there is Hebrews, chapter 11, verse 13, where we’re told that we are pilgrims in this world. Pilgrims. If you want to know how God wants you to view your life as a Christian, you are always to remember your citizenship is in heaven, not on earth. On this earth, you are a pilgrim. Then there is 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 20, where the Bible tells us that we are to be ambassadors for Christ. If you have this perspective that your citizenship is in heaven, you’re just a pilgrim in this world, you’re just traveling through representing Christ as His ambassador—if that’s your perspective, you’re going to be willing to be generous. If that’s your perspective, it’s going to be easy to have one master. If that’s your perspective, you’re not going to just “settle in here” and serve yourself, which is what the world does. The world just “settles in” and serves itself, but that’s not what life’s all about, not for us, not for Christians.
I want to tell you a joke. It’s a very old joke and I’m sure many of you have heard it. It’s one of my favorite jokes. It’s about a barber. One day a United States Congressman comes to the barber in his shop and wants his hair cut. The barber cuts his hair. When the Congressman goes to pay, the barber says, “You don’t have to pay, sir. I love my country. I love those who serve my country. I want to do this for you.” The Congressman said thanks. The next day when the barber returned to his shop, he noticed there was a box of candies. He opened it up and there were twelve chocolate candies, a gift from the U.S. Congressman.
Then a federal judge came into the barber shop. The barber cut his hair. When he was done, he said, “You don’t have to pay, sir. I love justice. I love those who serve justice. I want to do this for you.” The judge said thank you. The next day the barber returned to his shop and was pleased to find a dozen roses, twelve beautiful roses, a gift from the federal judge.
That very day a minister came into the barber shop. The barber cut his hair. When he was done, he said to the minister, “You don’t have to pay, sir. I love the Lord. I love those who serve the Lord. I want to do this for you.” The minister said thanks. The next day the barber returned to his shop and found twelve ministers!
Does that fit your image of many ministers? Does that fit your image of what a lot of ministers are like? That they’re looking for something? They want your money, and they want a freebie? I want you to know I don’t want your money. I don’t want your money and I don’t want a freebie. What I do want is a congregation of people who have one Master. In my life, I want to have one Master.
As the Holy Spirit talks to us today and probes our hearts and asks us whether we have one master or whether our loyalty is divided, and as you examine, are you serving God or are you serving money? Or are you trying to do both? There is an opportunity to change today, an opportunity to be transformed, to change our lifestyles, to begin to radically serve the radical call of Christ and to live first and foremost for His kingdom.
I’d like to conclude this message with the story of a guy named Roy Robertson. I read about Roy Robertson this past week. Roy Robertson served in World War II on the U.S.S. West Virginia, a battleship. The date was December 6, 1941, when his battleship came into Pearl Harbor and anchored in what was called Battleship Row. That evening of December 6, 1941, Roy Robertson went to a Bible study because he was a Christian. He went to a Bible study with 14 other sailors. They sat around in a circle and they prayed together. The person who was leading the Bible study said, “You know, I think tonight it would be good if we all went around and shared from memory a favorite scripture verse.” Roy Robertson began to think, “Oh, what scripture verse have I put to memory?” He really couldn’t think of any except John 3:16, and he wasn’t even sure that he knew that.
As they were going around the group and different men were sharing their favorite scripture verse, finally he was to where he thought he could say John 3:16. He had put it together. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” But then the guy right before him said that John 3:16 was his favorite verse and gave that. So, then it came to him and what was he to do? He said, “Guys this is kind of embarrassing. John 3:16 was my verse too. I haven’t set to memory another verse. I really don’t know from memory any other verse.” The guys in the group were kind of surprised because Roy had a reputation of being a fairly committed Christian.
He went back to the ship that night in Pearl Harbor on the West Virginia. He was thinking to himself, “I’m really kind of a phony. I haven’t spent time in the Word, and I haven’t lived by the Word. I’m just faking it. I’m just faking it.” He went to bed that night and at 7:55 AM the next morning the alarms went off on the West Virginia and all the battleships in Battleship Row because the Japanese Imperial Navy, with 360 planes, were attacking Pearl Harbor.
He went to his battle station as all of the soldiers and sailors did. When he went to the gun, he realized that at the gun station that he was at that all they had was practice ammunition. All they had was practice ammunition. For the first 15 minutes of what was a 2-hour exchange, all he could do was fire blanks, hoping that they could scare away the enemy planes.
As Roy Robertson fired those blanks, he was thinking to himself, “This is kind of like my Christian life. Just faking it. Just firing blanks.” He said a prayer right then, that morning, December 7, 1941, as Pearl Harbor was being attacked. He said, “Lord Jesus, if you get me out of this alive, I won’t fake it anymore. If you get me out of this alive, I’m going to really live for you.”
Well, he survived Pearl Harbor and he lived his life for Christ. It was Roy Robertson, along with Dawson Trotman, who founded The Navigators. The Navigators is a great ministry headquartered in Colorado Springs with ministry all over the world.
In 1990 when Billy Graham spoke in Hong Kong in that Crusade where the gospel was presented to more people at one time than at any other time in history, it was Roy Robertson who ran that Crusade. His life had changed. So how about you? As you look at your heart, do any of you feel like you’re faking it—firing blanks, not serving one master? Have you renounced all that you have? Are you willing to give as the Spirit prompts you and are you willing to give radically for the sake of the poor, for the sake of the Church, for the sake of the kingdom of God on earth? Is that what you’re living for? Are you a pilgrim in this world? Is your citizenship in heaven? Are you an ambassador for Christ?
As you come to the table this morning and take the bread and the cup, if you believe you’ve been faking it and your life needs to change, this is a time for repentance. This is a time for confession, and it’s a time to consecrate yourself anew and to come to Christ with renewed commitment. Let’s look to the Lord with a word of prayer.