Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.”
This morning, on Pentecost Sunday, we return to our study of the Sermon on the Mount. Because we have been away from this sermon for the last few weeks I want to briefly review so we can be reminded of our context, of where we have been and where we currently are. The purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is to reveal the character of God, the character of God’s kingdom of and the calling of God’s children; that is all summed up in two words that we have used often, surpassing righteousness. Jesus said in Matthew5:20, the verse that the entire sermon hinges upon, “unless your righteousness surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” The rest of the Sermon has then been Jesus defining surpassing righteousness by challenging the positions and motivations of our hearts. Jesus said “you have heard it said . . . you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of judgment. But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment.” “You have heard it said “you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” “You have heard that it was said ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” and then the most important words of the passage, “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” What Jesus reveals is that surpassing righteousness is the character of God, it is the character of His kingdom and it is the calling and the opportunity and the responsibility of His children. Paul wrote, in Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God as dearly loved children.”Our redemption and our adoption by the Father through the blood of Jesus is not only a rescue from the bondage of sin it is also a placement into the kingdom of God. We have not merely been taken out we have been ushered in. II Corinthians 5:21 says “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” God didn’t make Jesus sin, He didn’t send Him to bear the sin of the world and His own wrath so that we could merely have our price paid and be found without judgment, there is a purpose to our salvation and it is not only to be rescued from hell, it is to become something, to walk in something, to display something; the surpassing righteousness of God. Jesus became sin so that we might become His righteousness. Salvation was not to get us out; it was to bring us in. We were created in God’s image; we have been redeemed to take on God’s character. And so today we come to verse 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other”. From this verse today we will discuss the reality of having a master, the connection between love and slavery, and the beauty of being created to be filled with the Spirit.