A slave to his own slave!',
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"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one — and love the other; you will be devoted to one — and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon!" Matthew 6:24
We had better look very carefully into the meaning of these words, remembering that it was our blessed Lord who spoke them. "Mammon" means riches. To "serve" means to be the slave of. Paul loved to call himself the servant or slave of Christ.
Now Jesus says here that we cannot be both God's slave — and Mammon's slave too. We cannot belong to any two masters at the same time. If we are Mammon's slave — then we are not God's slave. If we belong to God — then Mammon is not our master.
Think, too, what a degrading thing it is for any human being — to be the slave of money! To use the word "serve" in its mildest English sense — no man should ever be theservant of money. Riches are meant to be man's slave. Now think how degrading it would be for any man to become a slave to his own slave! A man should be ashamed to call riches, his master.
Money is meant to be man's servant, and so long as he is its perfect master — it may be a blessing to him, and an instrument with which he may do great good. But when he gets down on his knees to it, and crawls in the dust for its sake, and sells his manhood to get it — then money is only a curse to him! Thus, it is easy to see why anyone who serves God — cannot also serve Mammon. God must have all the heart, and must rule in all the life. He will not share His throne with the god of gold!
God's true servants may have money, and may even be very rich — but they must use their money as a means for honouring God and blessing the world in Christ's name.
They must own their money — their money must not own them.
They must carry it in their hands — not in their hearts.
This is a very important thing for us to learn. Many professors are in danger of forsaking the sweet, blessed service of Christ — for the servile, slavish service of Mammon!
Surely there was no more royal moment in all of Christ's life!
"Today shall you be with Me in paradise!" Luke 23:43
This was the second saying of the Saviour on the cross. Something touched the heart of one of the robbers — may it not have been the Saviour's prayer for His murderers? He became penitent in his dying hour, and cried to Jesus for mercy: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." Quickly from the lips of the dying Redeemer, came the gracious response, "Today shall you be with Me in paradise!" The words are full of meaning, of which only broken hints can here be given.
Though in the agony of death — Jesus could yet give life to a dead soul. Though draining the dregs of the cup of woe — He could give a cup of blessedness to a penitent sinner. Though His hand was nailed to the cross — it yet carried the key of paradise, and opened the gate to allow a repentant soul to enter. Surely there was no more royal moment in all of Christ's life, than this!
The promise itself tells us what death is for the believer. "Today shall you be with Me!" There is no long, dark passage, therefore, through which the freed soul must go to reach blessedness. There is no "purgatory" in which it must punished for its sins for long years — before it can enter Heaven. At once, the redeemed spirit goes into the presence of Christ!
Paul teaches us the same truth when he describes death as departing to be with Christ; and says that to be absent from the body — is to be at home with the Lord. That same day, said Jesus — this penitent would be in paradise! We ought not then, to be afraid to die — if we are Christ's redeemed and holy ones.
The words tell us also, what Heaven's blessedness really consists of. "You shall be with Me." Being with Christ — is glory! No sweeter, more blessed Heaven can be conceived of!
We know but little about Heaven as a place — where it is, what it is like; but this much we know — that there we shall be with Christ! Is not that enough to know?
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