Luke 16:13 Commentary and Bible Study

Covetousness is idolatry according to the apostle Paul (Colossians 3:5). Mammon, or earthly wealth, becomes something which men serve, in order to receive the rewards which they think it will give them, as if they were serving God. It is as strong a devotion as that. It wants to be a master and as we serve it, it becomes stronger and more demanding. It requires total loyalty from us, and is not willing to share us with any other. God too requires us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that leaves no room for any rival. Christ describes God and mammon as two competing masters who will not share us with each other.How many think that they can get the best of both worlds, as it were. They think they can serve God, and please him, and secure his favour, and at the same time they can enrich themselves as much as they like without any harm coming from it. But the demands of covetousness on us are the opposite of what God demands of us. Certainly the Pharisees thought this. If we try to serve both God and mammon, we find ourselves with two different masters who both want exclusive loyalty from us. This is impossible says the Lord. One or the other of these two master must take second place, and eventually be put out of the picture altogether, and it is certain that those who serve mammon in any way will soon have no room in their hearts for God. The result in the case of the Pharisees was that their religion had no reality to it. It became something empty which focused on the externals. That was all they could manage because their heart was not in it. It became for them a tool to obtain the praise of the common people, but God saw them as phonies. How do we use this world’s goods safely? Christ had shown through the parable the remedy for covetousness, but it was not one that the Pharisees were willing to take advantage of.