Sermon Notes: Spirit of Mammon
If I were to ask you what Mammon in the Bible is, what would you say?
Today’s sermon is going to dive into exactly who or what Mammon is and what it represents. We are going to see how we, as disciples of Christ and followers of Jesus, are to respond to this. First, what on earth is Mammon? Well, let’s see what the Scriptures say.
“No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth”
-Matthew 6:24
“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If, then, you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
-Luke 16:10-13
In most translations, the above verses render “mammon” as wealth. This is an interesting concept, right? Based on these scriptures, what do you suppose Mammon means now? How would that have affected the first readers or hearers of these Gospel lines? Who would have come to mind?
Most people during this time were very poor. They lived in a region occupied by Romans who held power over them. They took their money, punished them, and impoverished them. The empire demanded loyalty above all things, including one’s religion. This is where we get the concept of the Imperial Cult. The ruler was invoked as a Roman god. Augustus even claimed to hold the title of “Son of God.” This was all a backdrop to the above verses.
Mammon, this word translates to money, wealth, and material possessions. But in the Bible, it goes deeper than the direct translation.
- Lust
- Excesses
- Greed
- Gluttony
- Dishonest Gains
Mammon was also seen as idolatry of materialism, the worship of stuff. We see this in the verses we read earlier. Some scholars even associate mammon with Syrian, Chaldean, and Greek gods—those of wealth. Idolatry becomes personified in our scriptures. It takes on characteristics we can find in people, systems, and organizations. In later traditions, mammon is seen as a demon, one of the seven princes of Hell.
Mammon isn’t about those who are blessed with more money than others. No, we have seen firsthand how followers of The Way, followers of Jesus, can use their dollars to raise up those in hardship. Just look on the back porch of where we meet for church. People have given out of the kindness of their hearts to those in need: canned goods, grains, meats, vegetables, baby diapers, formula, and so much more. We even have those in our church body who have given, those who make sure no one leaves hungry. This is not mammon. No. Mammon is about POWER. It is about controlling resources and people, all for personal gain. It breaks the first and tenth commandments.
- You shall have no other gods before me.
- You shall not covet.
Coveting is the desire for that which does not belong to you, to the point that you will do anything to get it. And the person who has what you want will lose it.
Mammon. This spirit, this corruption is how we get racism, genocide, removal of rights, and the withholding of FOOD. It goes against the very foundations of our faith!
“Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”
-Matthew 25:34-46
“For the love [worship] of money [power/mammon] is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.”
-1 Timothy 6:10
The fate of those who take from others’ basic needs is pretty clearly laid out. So, what does this mean for us? How do we make sure we are followers of Yeshua Hamashiach, Jesus Christ, and NOT Mammon?
- Care for the orphaned and the widowed.
- Seek justice.
- Defend the opressed.
- Show mercy.
- Show compassion.
- Give to the poor.
- Feed those in need.
- Clothe the less fortunate.
- Welcome the foreigner in.
- Proclaim freedom for the captives.
- Bring help to the sick.
How do we stave off Mammon’s wickedness? We are to truly imitate Christ: His walk, His servant’s heart, in all we say and do.
Amen.
Pastor Alex