Luke 16:13

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

No {G3762} servant {G3610} can {G1410} serve {G1398} two {G1417} masters {G2962}: for {G1063} either {G2228} he will hate {G3404} the one {G1520}, and {G2532} love {G25} the other {G2087}; or else {G2228} he will hold {G472} to the one {G1520}, and {G2532} despise {G2706} the other {G2087}. Ye cannot {G3756}{G1410} serve {G1398} God {G2316} and {G2532} mammon {G3126}.

No servant can be slave to two masters, for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You canโ€™t be a slave to both God and money.โ€

No servant can serve two masters. 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 both God and money.โ€

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Commentary

Luke 16:13 is a powerful and concise statement from Jesus, serving as a summary and direct application of the preceding parable of the Unjust Steward. It underscores the fundamental principle that oneโ€™s ultimate loyalty cannot be divided between competing allegiances.

Context

This verse immediately follows the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-12), a complex teaching that highlights the shrewdness of worldly individuals in managing their affairs, even if ethically questionable. Jesus uses this to challenge His disciples to be equally wise and purposeful in managing their spiritual and eternal resources. The parable concludes with a call to be faithful in little things and in unrighteous mammon (Luke 16:10-12), leading directly into this definitive statement about ultimate allegiance.

Key Themes

  • Exclusive Allegiance: The verse emphasizes the impossibility of serving two masters simultaneously. It highlights that true service demands singular devotion. Any attempt to serve both will inevitably lead to prioritizing one and neglecting, or even despising, the other.
  • God vs. Mammon: Jesus presents a stark contrast between serving God and serving "mammon." This isn't merely about having money, but about where one's ultimate trust, security, and devotion lie. Itโ€™s a call to examine oneโ€™s deepest loyalties and priorities in life.

Linguistic Insight

The term "mammon" (Greek: mamลnas) is of Aramaic origin and refers to wealth, material possessions, or riches. In this context, Jesus personifies mammon, elevating it to the status of a rival master to God. It represents not just money itself, but the worldly system, values, and security that wealth often embodies. Serving mammon implies placing one's trust and hope in financial security and material gain rather than in God.

Significance and Application

Luke 16:13 holds profound significance for believers today, challenging us to evaluate our true master:

  • Spiritual Priorities: This verse calls for a clear decision regarding our ultimate loyalty. We cannot claim to serve God while our hearts, time, and energy are primarily consumed by the pursuit or worship of wealth.
  • Trust and Security: Serving God means trusting in His provision and sovereignty, finding our security in Him. Serving mammon means placing our trust in financial stability, worldly power, or material possessions, which are fleeting and cannot provide true peace or eternal security (as Jesus teaches about laying up treasures).
  • Idolatry: To serve mammon is a form of idolatry, elevating something created above the Creator. It warns against the subtle yet powerful temptation for material wealth to become the guiding principle of one's life, diverting devotion from God.

Jesus' teaching here is a timeless reminder that our life's purpose and direction must be singularly focused on serving God, recognizing that divided allegiance leads to spiritual compromise and ultimately, failure to truly serve either.

Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 1 John 2:15 (17 votes)

    Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

  • 1 John 2:16 (17 votes)

    For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

  • Matthew 6:24 (11 votes)

    No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

  • Luke 14:26 (9 votes)

    If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

  • James 4:4 (9 votes)

    Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

  • Romans 8:5 (9 votes)

    For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

  • Romans 8:8 (9 votes)

    So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.