The phrase “make friends with unrighteous mammon” comes from Jesus’ parable of the unjust steward in the Gospel of Luke:
“And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” (Luke 16:9, KJV)
At first glance, it is puzzling. Why would Jesus encourage making friends with something “unrighteous”? Isn’t mammon often a symbol of greed, worldliness, or misplaced devotion? To understand this phrase, we must look deeper—both at the scriptural context and how A Course in Miracles (ACIM) frames our relationship to the things of the world.
Mammon in Scripture
“Mammon” was an Aramaic word for wealth or material possessions. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus warns, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Here, mammon is personified as a rival master, suggesting that money and worldly gain can become idols.
Yet in Luke 16, Jesus tells his followers to use mammon wisely. The parable of the unjust steward illustrates this: the steward, facing dismissal, uses his master’s resources to secure goodwill with others. Though dishonest, he demonstrates shrewdness in using temporary resources to prepare for his future. Jesus’ point is not to endorse dishonesty, but to show that wealth—though fleeting and tainted—can still serve higher purposes if directed toward love, generosity, and service.
Thus, “making friends with unrighteous mammon” means recognizing that while money itself is morally neutral, its use reflects the heart. Wealth is “unrighteous” because it belongs to a passing world, but it can be transformed into a tool for eternal good when used in alignment with love.
ACIM on Money and “Magic”
A Course in Miracles often compares medicine and material means to “magic.” Not because they are evil, but because they reflect attempts to solve problems within the illusion of separation. The Course says:
“The Holy Spirit, seeing where you are but knowing you are elsewhere, begins His lesson in simplicity with the fundamental teaching that truth is true.” (T-14.II.2)
Money, like medicine, is part of the dream. It is not real in the ultimate sense, for spirit needs nothing. Yet while we appear to live in the world, we are guided to use the symbols of the world in service of truth. The Course does not ask us to renounce money, but to release our attachment to it as a source of safety or identity.
In fact, ACIM suggests that any tool—money, medicine, even words—can be turned over to the Holy Spirit. What was once used to reinforce separation can be redirected toward healing. In this light, “making friends with unrighteous mammon” is akin to offering worldly resources to Spirit’s use, thereby transforming their purpose.
The Split Mind and Redirection
The ego tells us that money is power, status, or security. The Spirit teaches that money is merely a neutral symbol that can be reinterpreted. The split mind struggles between worshiping mammon and denying it altogether. The middle way is redirection: not serving mammon, but using it for service.
When Jesus in ACIM says: “The world is nothing in itself. Your mind must give it meaning.” (W-132.4), the implication is clear. Wealth is not inherently unrighteous; it becomes so only when used for egoic ends. Conversely, when surrendered to Spirit, it becomes a means for remembering love.
Practical Application
To “make friends” with mammon is to see it as neither enemy nor god. Instead, we treat it as a symbol we can employ in extending love. Giving to those in need, supporting works of compassion, or simply using our resources without guilt—all are ways of transforming mammon from an idol into a servant of truth.
In ACIM’s terms, this is shifting the purpose of mammon from separation to forgiveness. Rather than condemning the material world, we let it be a classroom for awakening.
Conclusion
“Make friends with unrighteous mammon” does not mean embrace greed. It means: take what belongs to the illusion, and place it under the guidance of Spirit. What was once “unrighteous” becomes sanctified by its purpose.
Scripture calls us to use fleeting wealth for eternal purposes. ACIM reminds us that the only true use of anything in the world is to bring us back to love. In this way, mammon becomes our “friend” only when it is no longer our master.
robert@dinojamesbooks.com