Matthew 6:24

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Verse 23 Read Chapter 6 Verse 25

Augustine of Hippo

AD 430

“He will be devoted to one and disregard the other.” He does not say that one will hate the other, for scarcely anyone’s conscience could hate God. But one disregards God— that is to say, one does not fear God but presumes on his goodness. From this negligent and tormented confidence, the Holy Spirit recalls us when he says through the prophet: “Son, do not add sin to sin; and do not say, ‘The mercy of God is great.’ ” Note when Paul says, “Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” For whose mercy can be accounted as great as the mercy of him who forgives all, if they convert to him? He makes the wild olive a partaker of the fatness of the original olive tree. At the same time, whose severity can be accounted as great as the severity of him who has not spared the natural branches but has broken them off because of unbelief? Therefore, whoever wishes to love God and to beware of offending him, let such a one cleanse the upright intention of his heart from ... Read More

1 min1/11

Go to Commentary

Augustine of Hippo

AD 430

Serm. in Mont., ii, 14: Whoso serves “mammon,” (that is, riches,) verily serve shim, who, being for desert of his perversity set over these things of earth, is called by the Lord, “The prince of this world. "Or otherwise; who the two masters are Heshews when He says, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon,” that is to say, God and the Devil. “Either” then man “will hate the one, and love the other,” namely, God; “or, he will endure the one and despise the other.” For he who is mammon's servant endures a hard master; for ensnared by his own lust he has been made subject to the Devil, and loves him not. As one whose passions have connected him with another man’s handmaid, suffers a hard slavery, yet loves not him whose handmaid he loves. But He said, “will despise,” and not “will hate,” the other, for none can with a right conscience hate God. But he despises, that is, fears Him not, as being certain of His goodness.

1 min2/11

Go to Commentary

Augustine of Hippo

AD 430

Then, further, the statement which follows, No man can serve two masters, is to be referred to this very intent, as He goes on to explain, saying: For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will submit to the one, and despise the other. And these words are to be carefully considered; for who the two masters are he immediately shows, when He says, You cannot serve God and mammon. Riches are said to be called mammon among the Hebrews. The Punic name also corresponds: for gain is called mammon in Punic. But he who serves mammon certainly serves him who, as being set over those earthly things in virtue of his perversity, is called by our Lord the prince of this world. A man will therefore either hate this one, and love the other, i.e. God; or he will submit to the one, and despise the other. For whoever serves mammon submits to a hard and ruinous master: for, being entangled by his own lust, he becomes a subject of the devil, and he does not love him; for who is there ... Read More

2 mins3/11

Go to Commentary

George Leo Haydock

AD 1849

Behold here a fresh motive to detach you from the love of riches, or mammon. We cannot both serve God and the world, the flesh and the spirit, justice and sin. The ultimate end of action must be one, either for this or for the next life. (Haydock)

< 1 min4/11

Go to Commentary

Glossa Ordinaria

AD 1480

Non occ.: Otherwise; it had been declared above, that good things become evil, when done with a worldly purpose. It might therefore have been said by someone, I will do good works from worldly and heavenly motives at once. Against this the Lord says, “No man can serve two masters.”. ord.: By “mammon” is meant the Devil, who is the lord of money, not that he can bestow them unless where God wills, but because by means of them he deceives men.

< 1 min5/11

Go to Commentary

Jerome

AD 420

“Mammon,” - riches are so termed in Syriac. Let the covetous man who is called by the Christian name, hear this, that he cannot serve both Christ and riches. Yet He said not, he who has riches, but, he who is the servant of riches. Forhe who is the slave of money, guards his money as a slave; but he who has thrown off the yoke of his slavery, despenses them as a master.

< 1 min6/11

Go to Commentary

John Chrysostom

AD 407

Now Jesus calls mammon here “a master,” not because of its own nature but on account of the wretchedness of those who bow themselves beneath it. So also he calls the stomach a god, not from the dignity of such a mistress but from the wretchedness of those enslaved. To have mammon for your master is already worse itself than any later punishment and enough retribution before the punishment for any one trapped in it. For what condemned criminals can be so wretched as those who, once having God for their Lord, do from that mild rule desert to this grievous obsession for money? Even in this life such idolatry trails immense harm in its path, with losses unspeakable. Think of the lawsuits! The harrassments, the strife and toil and blinding of the soul! More grievous, one falls away thereby from the highest blessing—to be God’s servant. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily

1 min7/11

Go to Commentary

John Chrysostom

AD 407

Do you see how by degrees He withdraws us from the things that now are, and at greater length introduces what He has to say, touching voluntary poverty, and casts down the dominion of covetousness? For He was not contented with His former sayings, many and great as they were, but He adds others also, more and more alarming. For what can be more alarming than what He now says, if indeed we are for our riches to fall from the service of Christ? Or what more to be desired, if indeed, by despising wealth, we shall have our affection towards Him and our charity perfect? For what I am continually repeating, the same do I now say likewise, namely, that by both kinds He presses the hearer to obey His sayings; both by the profitable, and by the hurtful; much like an excellent physician, pointing out both the disease which is the consequence of neglect, and the good health which results from obedience. See, for instance, what kind of gain He signifies this to be, and how He establishes ... Read More

6 mins8/11

Go to Commentary

John Chrysostom

AD 407

The Lord had said above, that he that has a spiritual mind is able to keep his body free from sin; and that he who has not, is not able. Of this He here gives the reason, saying, “No man can serve two masters.”. Hom xxi: Or otherwise; in what had gone before He had restrained the tyranny of avarice by many and weighty motives, but He now adds yet more. Riches do not only harm us in that they arm robbers against us, and that they cloud our understanding, but they moreover turn us away from God’s service. This He proves from familiar notions, saying, “No man can serve two masters;” two, He means, whose orders are contrary; for concord makes one of many. This is proved by what follows, “for either he will hate the one.” He mentions two, that we may see that change forthe better is easy. For if one were to give himself up in despair as having been made a slave to riches, namely, by loving them, he may hence learn, that it is possible for him to change into a better service, namely, by not ... Read More

1 min9/11

Go to Commentary

Theophylact of Ochrid

AD 1107

What He means is this: no man can serve two lords who command things that are opposed to each other. Such lords are God and mammon. We make the devil our lord when we make the belly our god. But by nature and in truth God is the Lord, and mammon is unrighteousness. Do you see that it is not possible for a rich man and unrighteous man to serve God? His love of money drives him away from God.

< 1 min10/11

Go to Commentary

Theophylact of Ochrid

AD 1107

No man can serve two lords: What He means is this: no man can serve two lords who command things that are opposed to each other. Such lords are God and mammon. We make the devil our lord when we make the belly our god. But by nature and in truth God is the Lord, and mammon is unrighteousness. Ye cannot serve God and mammon: Do you see that it is not possible for a rich man and unrighteous man to serve God? His love of money drives him away from God.

< 1 min11/11

Go to Commentary