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.

Cross-references

Luke 16:9 Parallel

Luke 16:9 urges using worldly wealth for eternal gain—a positive counterpart to the warning against serving money.

Luke 11:23 Parallel

Luke 11:23 applies the same 'either for or against' logic to allegiance to Jesus — reinforcing that no neutrality exists in serving God.

Luke 8:14 Parallel

Luke 8:14 describes riches choking the word—a concrete example of divided devotion hindering service to God.

Luke 14:26 Parallel

Luke 14:26 demands hating family to follow Jesus — a parallel call for exclusive loyalty similar to serving God over wealth.

Joshua 24:15 presents the same call to choose whom to serve — God or other gods — echoing the exclusive service principle.

Matthew 4:10 quotes the command to serve God only — the OT foundation behind the teaching that you cannot serve God and wealth.

Matthew 6:24 contains the identical saying about serving God and mammon — a parallel account of this teaching.

James 4:4 Parallel

James 4:4 declares friendship with the world is enmity with God — directly paralleling the impossibility of serving both God and mammon.

1 John 2:15 Parallel

1 John 2:15 warns against loving the world — the same conflict between love for God and love for worldly things.

2 Kings 17:33 depicts people fearing God yet worshiping their own gods—a clear example of trying to serve two masters.

Jeremiah 22:17 condemns eyes and heart set on dishonest gain—illustrating the pursuit of money as a master rather than God.

Hosea 10:2 Parallel

Hosea 10:2 speaks of a divided heart that brings guilt—directly echoing the impossibility of serving two masters.

Matthew 19:23 declares how hard it is for the rich to enter heaven—illustrating the conflict between serving God and money.

2 Timothy 4:10 shows Demas loving the world and deserting Paul—a tragic example of serving the wrong master.

Hebrews 13:5 commands freedom from love of money and contentment—the positive exhortation against serving money as a master.

Romans 6:16-22 uses slavery imagery to describe serving sin vs righteousness — similar to the master/servant contrast here.