“THE JEALOUS GOD”

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Matthew 6:24

The Bible presents God as a jealous God. As the Creator, God has a claim on exclusive worship and service from all of His creation. He means business, especially when it comes to our total commitment to Him. He will not share His glory with another.

Today’s verse is an excerpt from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This portion of His message talks about enslavement, mainly, materialism, which is the love of material things. While it is not innately wrong to possess earthly goods, when we become obsessed with them, they turn us into slaves.

The word “money” in this verse is a translation of the Greek word “mamonas,” which means “wealth or property.” Jesus portrays both God and money as slave masters. This ownership requires full-time service—not the regular 9-5 kind but exclusive possession. A person can only be a slave to one master.

Loving money doesn’t necessarily mean preoccupation with financial matters, but it encompasses everything that money can buy. But it is dangerous as it can enslave a person’s entire being, including the heart, mind, and will. In previous verses, Jesus discussed the futility of laying up earthly wealth. This planet is a decaying world, and everything in it is deteriorating. Therefore, it is unwise to invest our time and life in it.

We must understand that Jesus’ call to follow Him demands self-abandonment. To pursue the Savior means forsaking anything that can potentially divide our attention and loyalty, including material possessions.

God is jealous because He created us to know Him and love Him. He is not envious for His own sake. He is jealous for us because He is our greatest need. When we spend our lives chasing after selfish dreams and amassing material possessions, we rob God of all-out worship and service.

God will not compete with money or any other idol we may have. It’s either we follow Him or not. He is not a lonely God who needs company in heaven. His call is a call to godliness, which necessitates the abandonment of sinful desires, including the love of money.

I encourage you to think this over and set your priorities right. Who sits on the throne of your life, is it God or money? I hope you make the right choice and follow the one jealous God who loves you for real.

Pursue the Saviour today!