READING: Genesis 36-38, Matthew 12:22-50
Jealousy can be a powerful emotion that sometimes leads to terrible responses. It invites sinners—like us—to tear down others about whom we’re jealous. It eats at our soul and often causes us to wrestle with our own self-worth. It’s often accompanied by many other emotions such as grief, anger, bitterness, and frustration. In some cases, jealousy has even led to murder and death—as news reports often tell us. It is indeed a raging emotion.
We’ve seen that truth in today’s Old Testament reading, where Joseph’s brothers intended to kill him. Their father had given Joseph a special coat—which created such jealousy they could not treat him with anything but disdain—and then Joseph spoke of dreams indicating his brothers would eventually bow down to him. His brothers in turn hated him with jealousy and rage, and they eventually determined first to kill him. Some have debated whether it was wise for Joseph to tell his brothers about his dreams, but that’s not the point of the text. Even if he were unwise in his actions, his brothers had no justification for killing him (and, actually, only selling him into slavery).
The question for us today is, “Where is jealousy—even if it’s only a weak emotion in me—a part of my life today?” Where do I get envious because of what others have? Am I angry at a co-worker for getting a job I think I should have had? What scars of anger and bitterness do I still carry because of past-tense (and perhaps still present-tense) jealousy? I trust we would not kill someone out of jealousy, but I suspect we sometimes murder in our heart (Matt 5:21-22) because of ungodly envy.
May God help us instead to be satisfied simply in knowing Him.
PRAYER: “God, I can be a jealous person, too. Forgive me and help me.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: Confess any jealousy you discover in your heart.
TOMORROW’S READING: Genesis 39:1-41:36, Matthew 13:1-30
