Blinded by envy

Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.(John 11:57)

Mark’s gospel tells us that it was out of envy that the religious leaders sought to have Jesus arrested and executed. But what was the cause of their envy?

Perhaps it was that Jesus related freely to God and called him Father, while they were forever anxious about their own righteousness. Jesus spoke with authority, while they could only quote the authority of others. Jesus miraculously fed the hungry, healed the sick and cast out demons, while they, unable to deny that the miracles had taken place, could do no such miracles themselves.

So out of envy they accused him of blasphemy and demanded that he produce witnesses to testify to what he was saying.They accused him of breaking the Sabbath and of using the power of the devil to heal. Envious of his popularity with the crowds, they accused him of consorting with sinners.Their envy not only blinded them to who Jesus was, it blinded them to their own envious attitude towards him.

Envy is like that. It hides itself and blinds us to the bitter attitudes and destructive actions it produces in us.  Unlike coveting, which says simply “I want what you have”,  envy says “I want what you have, and I don’t want you to have it.” At heart envy says “I must have no rivals”. But only God truly has no rival. Envy sets us up against God as well as against other people.

If we frequently find ourselves being critical and judgmental, or find it difficult to rejoice when others succeed, or constantly feel that life isn’t fair, it may be that envy is the underlying cause. Once we recognise and admit that we have a problem with envy, God can start to heal us and teach us it’s antidote, contentment.

Seeing comes from obedience

“The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” John 9:11

Model of old Jerusalem.
Original image by Berthold Werner

The blind man had never seen Jesus. He had only heard him speaking and felt his hands touching his face. But something about Jesus, his willingness to touch a blind beggar, his voice and the way he spoke, made the man willing to do as Jesus told him. Even though it meant leaving his begging bowl and stumbling, still blind, to the pool several streets away, he got up and went to Siloam to wash. And he came back seeing.

Later the man described himself to the Pharisees as a disciple of Jesus, (9:27) though at that stage he was still uncertain about who Jesus was. When Jesus met him again and told him the truth, he instantly recognised Jesus, and fell down in worship. Not only had his physical sight been restored, but his spiritual eyes had been opened.

Not long before this, Jesus had told the Pharisees, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32). In other words, obedience comes before knowing and demonstrates discipleship. Such obedience requires trust in the person of Jesus before we have seen the truth of what he is telling us. The Pharisees refused to trust Jesus. The blind man trusted and through his obedience came to the truth.

To be a disciple of Jesus doesn’t require that we have all the facts about him, or understand every theological proposition about him. We only need to trust him because of what we do know and be willing to do what he tells us. Such trust and obedience will lead us to the truth.

Inspired not condemned

The advertising industry has apparently decided that promoting anxiety about being judged inadequate is just as good for business as creating envy. So women's magazines carry pictures of celebrities with scathing captions mocking the size of their thighs, the colour of their lipstick or their fashion blunders. The message to readers is clear - get this right or you too will be judged. Of course the magazines carry numerous advertisements for products that will help you do just that.

Sadly, some churches seem to work on the same principle. Certain individuals are criticised, openly or subtly, for the way they dress, the frequency of their attendance at church functions, or the way they bring up their children. Sometimes the pulpit is used to condemn not just sin, but sinners. Soon everyone learns to conform, not out of love or respect for each other, but because they fear that they too will be judged.

Fear of condemnation should have no place among Christians. Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples against having a judgmental attitude towards others. He was grieved and angered by the Pharisees’ tendency to judge and condemn those who didn't conform to their own man-made standards. The church that is following Jesus will be a place where people are welcomed as they are, and inspired to do better, rather than being made anxious to conform.

What the Bible has to say about sin must be taught, and taught well. It is sometimes appropriate to privately and lovingly confront someone who is straying from God’s word. But only God knows enough about the circumstances of a person’s life and the motives of their heart to be their judge. If he himself does not condemn us, let us be people who offer encouragement rather than condemnation to each other.

The Pharisees had something right

"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

The Pharisees knew the scriptures well. They knew that in order to approach a good and holy God, you must live a life of scrupulous obedience to his law. Since no human being could hope to live a perfectly sinless life, a sacrifice was needed to atone for your sins. Then you must have a priest appointed by God to act as your intermediary. Only then was it safe to approach God. Those who encountered him unprepared, like Isaiah, cried out in terror at his presence (Isaiah 6:5).

When a young preacher from Galilee claimed that he was God in human form, it was easy enough to see that his claims were false. He ate and drank with blatant sinners. He let those made unlcean by diseases touch him. He didn't allow his disciples to stop anyone from coming to him. Even gentile sinners were welcome. And he talked to God with the familiarity of a child with his father.

In one sense the Pharisees were right. How could God appear among them and not consume those who approached him carelessly and in sin? Jesus was not even a priest, so how could he pretend to represent God? Were his claims not blasphemous?

What they didn't understand was that Jesus himself was living a sinless life, the only truly sinless life, on behalf of those who came to him. Jesus himself was the ultimate sacrifice for sin that would end all sacrifices. Jesus was the great high priest who would be the eternal intermediary between God and his people.

While the Pharisees’ problem was that they couldn’t imagine a holy God appearing among them, our problem is that we sometimes take it for granted. We “approach the throne of grace” with a confidence that is based on a diminished view of God’s holiness rather than an appreciation of Jesus’ role in making it possible. In an act of sheer grace, our holy and loving God has provided us with all that we need to come to him. Who could imagine that?