Sermon Tone Analysis

Slavery is alive and well

The United States outlawed the slavery 150 years ago with the 13th Amendment and we finally opened the door to true racial equality here roughly 55 years ago with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

While there is still a lot of work to do in that area - that’s not the kind of slavery I’m talking about.

You and I are slaves!

We live in constant bondage to something or Someone.

Our every decision is guided by our allegiance to a master.

Who do you serve?

Who do I serve?

As we continue in the sermon on the mount, Jesus has been challenging the hypocritical practices of doing acts of righteousness for public acclaim or personal gain.

You see, when we give to the poor - we can do it because we see a need - and quite possibly, we can do it without recognition.

When it comes to praying - we can pray - or least we can try to pray on our own for an audience of One - we might have some selfish desire in it, we can still pray.

When it comes to fasting - if we even fast at all - we can give it a shot for a time or two - giving up something for a short time.

But when Jesus gets to this issue of mastery and slavery - he moves from preaching to meddling.

He hits us where it hurts - a lot.

He is ultimately asking the question - are you a slave to worldly wealth (money) or are you a slave to God?

Now - we all know the right answer - but is that really the truth?

In , Jesus talks about more tangible elements of our lives.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“The eye is the lamp of the body.

So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

“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.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.

Print.

Look at the last verse there in the NLT:

“No one can serve two masters.

For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

Tyndale House Publishers.

Holy Bible: New Living Translation.