"No one can serve two masters." The statement is absolute. Jesus did not say it is difficult, or unwise, or risky. He said it is impossible. And then He named the specific second master He was concerned about: "You cannot serve God and mammon." Mammon is an Aramaic word that meant "wealth, riches, possessions" — but Jesus personified it, treating it as a rival deity competing with God for the allegiance of the heart. The attempt to serve both God and mammon is the great delusion of modern Christianity. The modern American church has largely told Christians that they can have Jesus and a fat bank account, Jesus and a career that consumes their family, Jesus and the pursuit of comfort as the highest good. Jesus said no. One will win; the other will lose. Either you will love God and hate mammon, or you will love mammon and hate God. There is no dual citizenship. The test is simple: when God's commands conflict with financial advantage, which wins? When generosity is costly, which wins? When your job requires compromise, which wins? When the accumulation of wealth crowds out devotion, which wins? The master you serve is the one you obey when it costs you. The rich young ruler thought he could serve both. Jesus offered him a test: sell what you have, give to the poor, come follow Me. He failed, and went away sorrowful. Mammon won. He had no idea he was a servant of mammon until Jesus asked him to walk away from it.