In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus uses three analogies to teach the multitude on the mountain to lay up treasure in heaven, to remain undefiled from the world, and to serve God instead of serving mammon (or wealth).
The most obvious culprit that would lead us to stray from these teachings is money. If we work too hard in order to save money on earth, we may forget to store treasure in heaven. If we love money too much, our lives may be darkened, for "the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim 6:10). If making money is our goal in life, then we may become servants of money rather than servants of God. Yet money is not the only thing that can lead us astray. Other things are more subtle, and therefore less likely to be seen as "masters." We may not love money or the world; perhaps we simply enjoy having material possessions, such as a nice car, a big house, or fashionable clothes. However, even friendship with the world is enmity with God (cf. Jas 4:4). Friendship with the world signifies attachment to the world and the things in it. This attachment will cause us to lose sight of the kingdom of heaven. When we begin to think of material possessions more than we think about God, our spiritual eyesight will be darkened and we will be lost in this world, becoming servants of mammon without even realizing it.
How can we become friends with God instead of friends with the world? The Bible tells us that Abraham was called the friend of God on account of his righteousness (Jas 2:23; Gen 15:6; Isa 41:8). Similarly, we may establish a friendship with God through righteousness. If we cleanse our hands and purify our hearts, then we may draw near to God and He will draw near to us (cf. Jas 4:8). When we become friends of God, the world will have no attraction for us, and we will be able to see God clearly and serve Him faithfully.
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