Whom do you serve?

‘If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?
   ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters; such a slave will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.’ (verses 11-13)

Read Luke 16:10-18

Today’s reading brings out the challenge of serving the one we belong to. Where do our loyalties lie—with the Lord or with the world? We have to make the choice. We can’t serve two masters. We can’t have a foot in both camps.

I once heard a media spokesperson say, ‘Greed is good as long as it is your greed’. That statement reflects what the world thinks—me first, me last and me all over again. People continually ask, ‘What’s in it for me?’ We only need to listen to the daily news and current affairs programs to see where that gets us. The present-day problems that litigation has brought about is a prime example of this. That’s the one camp.

Then there is the Lord’s camp. We acknowledge him as our Lord and master and serve him in joyful obedience, being faithful to the one who has given his all for us. We also have the promise of Christ: ‘Well done, you good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23).

I know who I want to serve. Do you?

For all your goodness, Lord, we give you thanks.
You have done marvellous things for us.
You gave your Son to take our place.
Take us now, we are yours

(© 1987 Chris Jaensch, All Together Everybody 265)

by Merna Thamm, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

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