Matthew 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.
Cross-references
In Matthew 4:10, Jesus commands exclusive worship of God, directly reinforcing the principle of serving only one master.
Matthew 19:22 depicts the rich young ruler leaving sorrowful — a concrete example of choosing possessions over God, as Jesus warns against serving mammon.
Matthew 13:22 shows riches choking the word — illustrating how serving money makes fruitfulness impossible, just as two masters cannot both be served.
Matthew 12:30 declares no neutrality — whoever is not with Christ is against Him — mirroring the choice between God and mammon.
1 Timothy 6:10 calls love of money a root of all evil — directly matching the warning against serving mammon.
1 Timothy 6:9 warns that desiring riches leads to ruin — the same danger as serving mammon instead of God.
In Galatians 1:10, Paul contrasts pleasing people with serving Christ – a parallel to choosing one master over another.
In 2 Timothy 4:10, Demas loved the world and deserted Paul – exemplifying the divided loyalty Jesus warns against.
In Romans 6:16-22, Paul teaches you are slaves to the one you obey – a parallel to the impossibility of serving two masters.
In Luke 16:13, the identical teaching appears – you cannot serve God and money – reinforcing the principle with the same wording.
In James 4:4, friendship with the world is enmity with God – a parallel to Jesus' warning that you cannot serve God and money.
In Zephaniah 1:5, those who swear by the Lord and by Milcom exemplify the double allegiance Jesus says is impossible.
In 1 John 2:15, loving the world is incompatible with loving the Father, mirroring the impossibility of serving both God and mammon.
In 2 Kings 17:41, the nations both feared the Lord and served idols – illustrating the impossibility of serving two masters.
In 2 Kings 17:33, the Samaritans feared the Lord yet served their own gods – a direct example of the divided loyalty Jesus condemns.
1 Kings 18:21 has Elijah rebuke Israel for 'limping between two opinions' — classic OT picture of the impossibility of serving two masters.
1 Samuel 7:3 calls for putting away foreign gods and serving the Lord only — direct OT parallel to the exclusive service commanded here.
Joshua 24:15 presents the same choice: 'choose whom you will serve' — a direct OT parallel to the decision between God and money.
Ezekiel 33:31 exposes people who hear God's words but chase dishonest gain — the exact divided loyalty Jesus says is impossible.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 declares that love of money never satisfies, reinforcing why serving money is incompatible with serving God.
Luke 8:14 describes cares, riches, and pleasures choking the word — an example of serving wealth instead of God, echoing the divided loyalty theme.
James 1:8 describes the double-minded person as unstable — exactly the condition of trying to serve two masters.
Romans 1:25 describes worshiping the creature instead of the Creator — a form of serving something other than God, parallel to serving mammon.
1 Corinthians 10:21 says you cannot partake of the Lord's table and demons' table — the same exclusive allegiance Jesus teaches about God and money.
2 Corinthians 6:16 asks what agreement the temple of God has with idols — reinforcing that God and false masters are incompatible, like God and money.
Revelation 3:15 condemns lukewarmness, paralleling the impossibility of serving both God and money — a divided allegiance.
Joshua 24:19 warns that serving God is impossible if divided — echoes the impossibility of serving two masters, though from God's holiness.
1 Timothy 6:17 tells the rich not to hope in wealth but in God — a practical application of serving God, not mammon.
Luke 16:11 connects faithfulness with unrighteous wealth to receiving true riches — echoing the stewardship theme of serving God.
Hosea 10:2 says Israel's heart is divided (false), leading to judgment — this reinforces the impossibility of serving both God and money.
Romans 16:18 describes those who serve their own appetites, not Christ — another example of serving a rival master instead of God.
Luke 16:9 advises using worldly wealth to gain eternal friends — a different angle on mammon, not a direct contradiction.
Joshua 24:20 warns that forsaking God for other gods brings harm — reinforces the danger of divided loyalty in Matthew 6:24.