Luke 16:13 kjv
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.
Luke 16:13 nkjv
"No servant 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. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Luke 16:13 niv
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Luke 16:13 esv
No servant 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."
Luke 16:13 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."
Luke 16 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 6:24 | No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. | Direct parallel, emphasizing the exclusivity of loyalty. |
| Deut 6:5 | You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. | Calls for wholehearted devotion to God, leaving no room for rivals. |
| Josh 24:15 | ...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. | Calls for a definitive choice of allegiance. |
| 1 Ki 18:21 | How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. | Challenging divided loyalty between God and idols. |
| John 14:15 | If you love Me, keep My commandments. | True love for God is expressed through obedience, incompatible with other masters. |
| Rom 6:16 | Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey... | Slavery is to one master based on obedience. |
| Col 3:2 | Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. | Contrasting heavenly priorities with earthly (material) ones. |
| 1 John 2:15-16 | Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. | Loving the world (its desires, including wealth) conflicts with loving God. |
| James 4:4 | Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? | Friendship with worldly systems, including its focus on wealth, opposes God. |
| Phil 3:7-8 | But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ...I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord... | Christ is counted as ultimate gain; worldly gains (including riches) are loss. |
| 1 Tim 6:9-10 | But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts... for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil... | The desire for riches creates a powerful rival to God's authority. |
| 2 Tim 3:2 | For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, lovers of boastful, proud... | Money-loving is characteristic of spiritual decay and self-worship. |
| Hab 2:9 | Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house... | Warning against illicit wealth, highlighting the destructive nature of Mammon. |
| Isa 42:8 | I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images. | God's demand for exclusive worship; anything else is an idol. |
| Zeph 1:18 | ...Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath... | Riches are useless in the face of God's judgment. |
| Luke 14:26-27 | If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. | Absolute devotion to Christ transcends all other human loyalties. |
| Ps 119:36 | Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. | A prayer to be kept from greed, aligning one's heart with God's law. |
| Matt 19:23-24 | ...Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven... it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. | The difficulty riches pose in wholehearted devotion to God. |
| Eph 5:5 | For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. | Covetousness (desire for wealth) is equated with idolatry, incompatible with God's kingdom. |
| Acts 4:32 | Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. | Early church community demonstrated freedom from individual attachment to possessions. |
| Jer 9:23-24 | Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me... | True glory and devotion are found in knowing God, not in worldly achievements or wealth. |
| Rev 3:17-18 | Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked... | The danger of spiritual blindness due to perceived material wealth. |
Luke 16 verses
Luke 16 13 Meaning
Luke 16:13 states the impossibility of serving two masters simultaneously, specifically highlighting God and Mammon. It conveys that ultimate loyalty and devotion cannot be divided; one will inevitably be loved and prioritized, while the other will be disdained or neglected. This truth underscores God's exclusive claim on one's heart and life, demanding total allegiance over the pursuit and devotion to material wealth.
Luke 16 13 Context
Luke 16:13 concludes a significant section of teaching that began with the Parable of the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-9) and continued with lessons on faithfulness with earthly resources (Luke 16:10-12). In the parable, Jesus commended shrewdness in worldly affairs, but immediately shifted the focus to eternal implications and the proper use of material possessions. Verse 13 serves as a summary and a conclusive statement on the ultimate allegiance required of a disciple, setting the boundary for one's loyalty after discussing how to handle worldly wealth. The historical context reflects an agricultural society where masters held absolute authority over their slaves (or bondservants). Divided allegiance in such a system was unimaginable, as it would lead to conflict, inefficiency, and ultimately, betrayal. This cultural reality grounds Jesus' spiritual teaching about undivided devotion. Implicitly, Jesus polemically contrasts the worldly system that values accumulation of wealth with the Kingdom of God which values righteousness and divine relationship.
Luke 16 13 Word analysis
- No servant: (οὐδεὶς οἰκέτης - oudeis oiketes). The term "oiketes" refers to a household slave or domestic servant. The phrase "no servant" emphasizes an absolute impossibility; there is no exception. This highlights the mutually exclusive nature of the two proposed masters. In the ancient world, a servant's loyalty and labor belonged entirely to their master. Divided loyalty was a grave transgression and practically unworkable.
- can serve: (δύναται δουλεύειν - dynatai douleuein). "Dynatai" means 'is able' or 'has the power'. "Douleuein" means 'to be a slave', 'to render service', 'to be devoted'. This signifies not just working for but belonging to and being completely committed to. It's about utter subjection and loyalty, far beyond mere employment. This service demands total commitment of time, energy, and will.
- two masters: (δύο κυρίοις - duo kyrios). "Duo" is two. "Kyrios" means master, lord, owner, or sovereign. A kyrios had absolute authority over their doulos (slave). The very concept of serving two supreme authorities simultaneously is inherently contradictory, as their commands and interests would inevitably clash.
- for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other: This is a clear explanation of the inevitable outcome of trying to serve two conflicting powers.
- hate: (μισήσει - misesei). Not necessarily active hatred, but a strong rejection, a valuing less, a not prioritizing. It implies neglect or a turning away from.
- love: (ἀγαπήσει - agapesei). Refers to a strong affection, commitment, and preference. It indicates where one's true loyalty and desire lie.
- be devoted to: (ἀνθέξεται - antexetai). To cling to, hold fast to, adhere to, or stand by. This denotes faithful commitment and resolute support.
- despise: (καταφρονήσει - kataphroneses). To scorn, look down upon, or disregard. It implies valuing something as insignificant or worthless, showing contempt.
- This dual expression, "hate/love" and "devoted to/despise," shows both the internal affection and the external action/attitude toward the masters. There will always be a preferential choice.
- You cannot serve God and Mammon: This is the core conclusion and application.
- God: (Θεῷ - Theō). Refers to the one true God, the ultimate Sovereign of the universe, who demands exclusive and total allegiance.
- Mammon: (Μαμμωνᾷ - Mammōna). This is an Aramaic word (מָמוֹנָא - mamonā) meaning "money," "riches," or "property." Over time, especially in Hellenistic Judaism and early Christianity, "Mammon" acquired a personified sense, referring to material wealth as a competing master or idol. It represents not merely possessions, but the covetous desire, trust in, or pursuit of wealth as the primary aim of life. It implies a mindset and devotion to the system of wealth acquisition and security, setting it up as a rival "lord" to God. It highlights that the challenge is not just wealth itself, but the spirit behind it that competes for human devotion.
Luke 16 13 Bonus section
The direct juxtaposition of "God" and "Mammon" suggests a theological conflict between two kingdoms or value systems. God's Kingdom is built on love, righteousness, and self-sacrifice, while the "kingdom of Mammon" often promotes greed, self-reliance, and material accumulation. This verse therefore presents a non-negotiable choice of allegiance. Jesus doesn't suggest that riches are evil in themselves, but that the pursuit of and reliance on them can become a master, diverting ultimate loyalty from God. The warning extends beyond mere possessions to include any object or pursuit that takes priority over God in one's life, as these too can function as "Mammon." This concept aligns with biblical wisdom literature that frequently cautions against the pitfalls of wealth and calls for trust in God alone.
Luke 16 13 Commentary
Luke 16:13 encapsulates a fundamental truth about allegiance and idolatry, directly applicable to all who seek to follow Christ. It is an exclusive claim by God for the entirety of one's being – heart, mind, and resources. Jesus uses the clear analogy of master-slave relationships from the ancient world to convey that divided loyalty is an inherent impossibility. Just as a servant could not genuinely serve two distinct owners with conflicting demands, neither can a person give ultimate devotion to both God and worldly wealth (Mammon).
Mammon here functions as a competing god. It represents not just money as an object, but the spirit of covetousness, the trust placed in financial security, the pursuit of earthly gain as an ultimate life goal, and the power that material possessions can wield over one's life choices and values. This passage exposes the idolatrous nature of materialism. When wealth becomes the object of trust, love, or ultimate pursuit, it displaces God from His rightful position as the sole Sovereign of one's life. The verse challenges believers to discern where their true devotion lies, making it clear that a compromise is not an option in the Kingdom of God. The practical implication is a call to continuous self-examination regarding one's attitude towards money and possessions, ensuring that God alone holds supreme sway.
- Example 1: A believer who tithes regularly but compromises ethical standards in business to gain profit may be serving Mammon more than God in their daily life.
- Example 2: Prioritizing working endless hours to amass wealth at the expense of spiritual disciplines, family time, or service, illustrates Mammon as a competing master.