42 So when the Jews went out of the synagogue,[j] the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us:
‘ I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:42-47)
Envy Its an evil emotion that is beyond my understanding. Not that I would ever deny being guilty of it myself, but truly it is one of the most irrational emotions seated in the sinful heart of man. I heard someone describe this emotion as "Anger on steroids!" Envy is an intense of inadequacy and occurs when a person lacks another's (perceived) superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it. It often brings about anger, resentment, and even aggression towards those whom one envies. Such was the feeling the Jews of the Synagogue at Antioch had when they saw that a huge crowd of Gentiles were hanging on every word of Paul and Barnabas while they preached. The missionary pair had preached in the Synagogue, but were not well-received and no one received Christ there. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, the missionaries decided to preach to the Gentiles, whose response to Christ was nearly overwhelming. The Jews obviously did not approve of their response, and resented Paul and Barnabas for stooping to preach to them. The Jews, thinking they were so much better, were blind to the possibilities of further influencing the Gentiles about their God and benefited both groups greatly as a result.
Have you ever been tempted to envy? Its hard not to be when you have worked hard on something, hoping to win someone's approval, and then have that person take no notice of it as they shower that approval on to someone else. I have even seen preachers grow envious of another's congregation or response to his preaching, etc. The most evil form of envy is Shadenfreude, a German word describing the emotion of envy so intense that it takes delight in the downfall or misfortune of others of whom they had been jealous. God commands us in the Ten Commandments not to covet- to be jealous of another's possessions but to be content with what they have. Imagine what would have happened if John the Baptist had coveted Jesus' popularity or speaking ability? It would not have dissuaded Christ in the least but it would have made John the Baptist look badly for all time.
I suppose what I am saying is, while most of the sins that we commit have to them some degree of rationality, envy clearly does not. It is perhaps the most destructive emotion, because wars, feuds, and even family violence has ensued over envy. Nations have been inflamed over envy, and so are most relationships.
Are you envious of someone today? Perhaps the seat of your ill-feeling runs deeper than your jealousy of that person's attractive looks or athletic prowess, or even their cleverness. It stems from a lie of Satan who whispers to your heart and says, "You are no good! You will never be good enough!" Satan's lies are dispelled by the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who can liberate you from that evil emotion and set you free to love and to appreciate others for all of their qualities you can celebrate, and make you glad that you know them.
Do all that you can to kill that green-eyed monster, envy, and allow good thoughts about others occupy your heart.
Have a blessed day.
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