Several million people watched the Super Bowl last year. A sell-out crowd paid prices starting at $3,000 per seat to watch the game in person. The average home viewer spent $81.17 for snack foods and apparel for a total of $15.3 billion. One of the most popular parts of the show was the commercials which cost five million dollars for a 30 second spot. What does this say about us as a people? It seems to say that our priorities are sadly out of shape. We are willing to see a player for the losing team who sat on the bench for the entire game get paid $56,000 for that one game, but we can’t seem to find the extra money to help others or to spread the gospel. We can spend countless hours watching the game, the pre-game shows, the post-game shows and talking about the game with others, but can’t find the extra time to help teach a Bible class, or help with the work of the church, or encourage or help others. Our priorities are in need of serious adjustment.
In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” By “mammon” Jesus means the things of this world. And it is important to note that He isn’t saying that we can’t have or enjoy the things of this world. Just that we must keep them in their proper place. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” And in 2 Corinthians 4:18 the apostle Paul reminds us that, “the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Our focus should always be primarily on the eternal, spending an eternity with God in heaven.