Understanding Mammon
Considering how much Jesus had to say about this subject, it is a wonder why teaching about it from the pulpit is an unspoken taboo. The main point to grasp here is that mammon is the philosophy and governing principles behind the operations in the kingdom of Satan. The economic systems which we have adopted along with its privileged and social ramifications. It instills the opposite behaviours held up as desirable in the kingdom of God. It encourages self centeredness instead of God centeredness. Every other religion will promote the development of self, with self being responsible for their own development in reaching for the higher state of being. While in the kingdom of God it is impossible to earn ones own salvation in any way shape or form. It can only be given as a free gift for the asking. Mans natural reasoning will gravitate towards the principles of mammon because of our fallen state, which makes the learning and understanding of Godly principles something that requires the development of new lines of logic. This line of reasoning is not something that comes naturally to us. There is no shortage of new testament scriptures looking at this phenomenon, such as the one below.
Rom 8:5 For they that are according to the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh: but they that are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace:
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
And the solution to the problem being along the lines of this scripture below.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Rom 12:3 For through the grace given to me, I say, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Jesus of course just stated the situation very plainly and bluntly as recorded in this verse below.
Mat 6:24 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.
To be noted here, is that Jesus referred to serving mammon as in competition to serving God. No matter how diplomatic you try to be, there is going to come a time where the rules of mammon and submission to Gods laws are going to be in opposition. Do you take the financial loss and obey God, or do you please the stock holders and take the money or the deal and run? But in reality mammon encompasses far more than just wealth. It also includes all the trappings of prestige, political power, influence, worldly respect and all else that places a person in high esteem over the common people in the form of brute power based on wealth, not acts of righteousness.
The kingdom of Satan also keeps close tabs on the distribution of mammon as well. Those who do not play their game will be stripped of mammon and reputation so as to render them the poor of the land. This is to pressure them into compliance or servitude. The specific demonic entities involved with this are Rimmon and Focalor. Interesting read if you look them up. Fortunately they can be bound by the saints using the authority we have in Christ.
The basic dictionary definition in Strongs concordance is as follows!
G3126
μαμμωνα?ς
mammōnas
mam-mo-nas'
Of Chaldee origin (confidence, that is, figuratively wealth, personified); mammonas, that is, avarice (deified): - mammon.
The control comes through the need to protect ones gains in the form of mammon. Worldly wisdom
dictates that reputation needs to be protected in the sight of others that also have the required reputations, even if the course of action denies justes to the poor of the land. We are coming into a time where those that mock God and Christ are held in high esteem. Peer pressure to conform will ensure the mockery of God grows. This is the laws of mammon in operation.
A good example of where this plays out is to be found in these verses;
Est 3:5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
Est 3:6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
Haman was number two in the kingdom, He had lots of mammon and a great deal of pride to go along with it. When this Jew did not bow and tremble before him when he passed, Haman decided to kill off all the Jews in the land. He was to be feared and reverenced because of his station. As is the case of mammon in operation.
Fortunately the kings wife just happened to be a Jew and the daughter of Mordecai, so the Jews came through and Haman ended up on his own gallows.
This of course is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught;
Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
This of course does create a challenge for us in that we have to live in a world that is governed by mammon, while we are supposed to be striving to uphold godly principles. Jesus, fortunately did give us some advice on how to handle this situation.
The fact is that our economic system is designed in such a way that the good guys will inevitably finish last and those that want to come in first no matter what will have to leave their godly principles behind so as to beat out the competition. The higher up the ladder you go in the worlds system the more you will have to exploit your fellow man and stretch the truth in order to accumulate wealth. Get enough of it and you may even stand a chance in politics where there is some real power to go along with it.
Now that leaves us in a bit of a problem. We want to pursue the things of God and lay up for ourselves some treasures in heaven but at the same time we have out of necessity to engage in worldly mammon in order to live. So the question is, How do we handle this. Well the first thing is to identify what belongs to the kingdom of God and what Belongs to the kingdom of this world in the form of mammon. The moment the two get mixed up everything gets corrupted.
Now Jesus did point out that there is a conflict of interest involved when dealing with mammon while attempting to also walk in the spirit. But he also pointed out that you need make a decision regarding which you want to serve. We do have two masters over us but we get to choose which we want to honour and which we want to despise.
However Jesus also gave some very good advice on how to handle the situation. And it is found in the context of the first verse quoted which is reproduced below.
Luk 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
Luk 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Luk 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Luk 16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
Luk 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.
Luk 16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
Luk 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Now right off the batt Jesus acknowledged that as far as our dealings with mammon are concerned we are probably going to fail as the doors of the world will tend to close to us. But he also cautioned that we are to deal faithfully with it as in a trust worthy manner.
But what Jesus also pointed out was that while you have it use it to make friends and alliances so that you will not be an offence to any and they will be willing to help you in the future in times when you will inevitably need the help. That way by remaining true to your Godly principles you will still be rewarded in other ways when the mammon of the world fails you.
