“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24 ESV)

This is the verse that’s been on my heart to share with you for this month’s screensaver and coloring page.

At church, our pastors are working through a series on the Sermon on the Mount. This passage comes sandwiched between Jesus’ admonition on the things that we treasure and His teaching on anxiety.

A note: I keep getting hung up on the word “master” here. I’m painfully aware of my context here in the United States and the way the very precious words of Scripture were often used to support a system of slavery that dehumanized, tortured, and oppressed a whole segment of our fellow humanity based on the invented category of “race.” I’m aware that much of the white church not only looked on, but found a way to justify the practice and even call it “right.” You can read more about this history in Jemar Tisby’s book, The Color of Compromise. I know we have to interpret Scripture within the culture in which it was written, so I found it helpful to name and even lament the cultural lense we bring to Scripture. This is so we can truly see Jesus and hear what He is saying to us.

And these words are such life-giving ones.

The word for “master” here is the Greek kyrios or lord. I think of the “lords” of this world:

The pursuit of money.
The obsession with body image.
The pursuit of reputation and a name.
The desire to consume and acquire.
The pursuit of self-improvement.
The desire for the praise and affirmation of people.
Our obsession with perfection. Perfect bodies, perfect opinions, perfect kids, perfect homes.
The idealization of romantic love and the pursuit of sexual fulfillment

These lords are demanding and burdensome, taking no thought for our good. Never satisfied, never resting. The service of them will rend our hearts and leave us spun up with anxiety.

And Jesus knows me. He knows that I CANNOT do it. I cannot serve both God and money. I cannot please both people and God. My heart CANNOT take that pressure. I will love one and hate the other.

But Jesus is calling:
I am the one and only Master who asks, not demands, your service.
I am gentle and humble in heart.
I don’t lay on you anything I myself have not carried or that I won’t carry alongside you.
I will give you rest if you’ll come and learn from me.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mathew 11:28-30 ESV)

This is what’s on my heart this Lent. Taking up the yoke alongside Jesus and learning from Him. Laying aside the pursuit of others lords that vie for my heart’s attention.

You can download your coloring pages by clicking on the images below. To download your screensaver image, just click on the image below and save to your phone!

IDEAS for using the coloring page:

• Use the arrow images to brainstorm other “lords” that are competing for your heart’s attention. You can fill them in with words or phrases.
• Talk about what it would look like to only serve Jesus.
• Talk about why Jesus says it’s impossible to serve more than one lord or master.
• Talk about why this is good news, not another burden Jesus is laying on us.

USAGE NOTES: All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. These printables are free for your personal, school, ministry, or church use. If you share this, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Please do not repost on another website. For other uses, please contact me.

If you’re interested in a printable version of this artwork, I’ve listed it both in Spanish and in English in several frameable sizes. These graphic files could also be used for church graphics, bulletins, retreats.