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We are always serving someone or something.

For many, money is their master. Or prestige is their master. Or self image is their master. Or personal desires are their master. Since this thread quoted bible, I will point out Jesus said (it is rendered in red letters) that "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" (Matthew 6:24).

Anyway, I am not trying to hijack this thread and sermonize or anything. Just tying up a loose end that forms a important basis for how I personally have grown to understand the world.

2 comments

This is truly lovely. Whether you're faithful or not, the wisdom of these lines resonates to this day. Thanks for sharing.

I find it to be inflexible and also wrong in my personal experience. It’s like saying you can’t love two people at the same time, or have balance and nuance in your life

> "Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. "

I really wish I understood the original language for this because both sides of this or sound essentially synonymous to me, so I don't really get the "either" part of it.

Great question! I am not an ancient greek scholar, but it could be a way to add emphasis. Like how “Truly, truly” was used to emphasize.

I think it's much simpler. It could be a misapplication of the "don't repeat words" rule.

No one can have ↑↑. Either ↓↑ or ↑↓.

Seemed like a good test for ChatGPT!

In these texts, the words used are:

• μισήσει (misei): will hate

• ἀγαπήσει (agapēsei): will love

• ἀνθέξεται (anthexetai): will be devoted to, hold to, or cling to

• καταφρονήσει (kataphronēsei): will despise or look down upon

These Greek terms reflect a range of emotions and attachments similar to their English counterparts. The term ἀνθέξεται implies a sense of holding on or support, perhaps with a sense of duty or obligation, while καταφρονήσει suggests a more intellectual or volitional form of disdain or disregard, compared to the direct and potent emotional charge of μισήσει (hate) and ἀγαπήσει (love).