The Lift of Love
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9, 21)
Can you remember the first person that you envied because of something that they had that you desired? What did someone posses that you really wanted? In the third chapter of “Give Up Something Bad for Lent,” James Moore addresses the issue of envy. Using the Lukan account of the conversation of the heated discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees, Moore highlights the hidden motivations of the Pharisees which led them to criticize Jesus for not washing his hands before eating.
Jesus had been invited into the home of a Pharisee for a meal. Perhaps the purpose of the invitation was to discover a flaw or error that could be used to discredit Jesus. The Pharisee seized upon the fact that Jesus did not engage in the ritual of handwashing before eating. The Pharisee accused Jesus of being unclean.
Some commentary writers note that Jesus initially responds to what the Pharisee was thinking (not what the Pharisee actually said) with an extremely stern rebuke. Jesus points out that the Pharisees emphasize appearance while ignoring substance—the focus of the Pharisee was upon a clean exterior while Jesus noted that the inside was the area in greatest need of cleansing.
When we are consumed by envy, it is difficult to acknowledge the layers of assumptions which fuel our resulting anger. While children may find it difficult to disguise feelings of envy, adults often learn to mask their feelings of envy. Sometimes the deeply hidden feelings of envy emerge as baseless quarrels or exaggerated accusations.
The epistle of James offers a convincing summary of the connections between envy and quarreling:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4)
We have the capacity to choose the words that express our emotions and reveal our motivations. Last week, James Moore challenges readers to abandon harsh judgments. This week, we are invited to abandon “the enemy within.” Although envy may lead to harmful words and conduct, as Christians we strive to overcome evil with a heart that sincerely desires love and peace. The wisdom of Proverbs instructs “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (14:30).
In the remaining days of the season of Lent, allow an earnest desire for love and peace replace harsh words and envy. A useful exercise may involve making list of the evil thoughts and envy that we experience for a portion of the day. As we examine the list, develop a list of people for whom we will pray that God will bless. It may not be the easiest prayer to pray. However, it may lead both you and the person you’ve envied closer to the kingdom that God envisions for us all.
We will look forward to seeing you in class and in worship as we learn, grow and serve together.
In Christ,
Jon McCoy
