2020-08-18 – Considering the Bible

In our previous post on Jealousy, we looked at the last Hebrew words associated with jealously that described God and some of it’s implications for the believer.

With this post, I would like to consider the New Testament teaching on jealousy and if this characteristic is continued to be associated with God.

NEW TESTAMENT JEALOUSY

As we considered in our previous post, jealousy is associated with men and with God. This first portion of our post will deal with jealousy on the horizontal, that is between created beings.

Common Jealousy

The following two verses describe the same jealousy / envy of the priests of Israel had concerning Jesus.

Matthew 27:18
For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.
Mark 15:10
For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.

The priests were driven with jealousy and envy over the popularity of the Messiah with the masses. Of course, popularity is an addictive drug, and jealousy is it’s pit of danger to fall into.

Brothers and sisters, find no satisfaction in loving popularity. This is a huge challenge for myself, since I seek approval from many in my life. This is not to be sought after.

Romans 1:29
They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,

Paul brings envy into the picture as he describes the debauched life of the lost sinner. (Careful Carl, let’s not get too judgmental here. Some fingers may start turning back on me!!!)

1 Corinthians 3:3

for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

As believers, when we exhibit jealousy, which as believers we sometimes do, we are described as children, immature believers.

I love it that Paul clears the air and states that jealousy typifies believers that are acting human.

Just human. That should be an indictment to me. The Christian life is not a life that includes jealousy and strife.

Galations 5:26
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Paul tells us not to envy in Galations. Should be simple enough, eh? Envy is a work that erupts out of competition, and whether it be the competition for love, or status or wealth or whatever, if it is found in your church, you may want to consider the wisdom of being involved in it.

sunday-school-high-attendance-promotions

One church I was involved in often had contests for the highest Sunday School membership or attendance for the quarter.

I didn’t think too much of it at the time, but looking back, I’m thinking it has some serious drawbacks.

The competition sets teachers against each other
The competition considers numbers more important than the students
- If a student would benefit from Bobby’s class, but I needed one more student to win the booby prize, welllll….
The competition allowed for an “ends justifies the means” method of attracting students
The competition created a spirit of dissatisfaction in all the teachers who were not “winning”.

Paul was right.

Let us love one another.