You asked

how does this teaching relate to old testament warnings against idolatry?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Matthew 6:24

““No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.””

This verse is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, a collection of his teachings on how to live a life devoted to God. It comes after warnings against storing up earthly treasures and precedes assurances about God's provision, encouraging listeners to prioritize God over material wealth.

What does this passage reveal about the true nature of what we 'serve' with our energy and focus?

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Read alongside it

Exodus 20:3
This is one of the Ten Commandments, directly forbidding the worship of other gods alongside the one God.
Deuteronomy 6:5
This verse calls for undivided love and devotion to God with all one's heart, soul, and strength.
1 John 2:15
This New Testament passage warns against loving the world or the things in the world, contrasting it with the love of the Father.

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