Envy's Cost

"When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him."  Genesis 37:4


Envy's Cost
By Rev. William Dohle

Thumbing through the channels the other day, I caught the most curious(and disturbing) conversation.  A woman was on some talk show and asked the experts a question.  She said:

"I am so envious of my girlfriends, with their husbands and their children, and me, childless and single.  Is it normal to feel this way?"

Now, I know the "expert" isn't a theologian, but her words disturbed me nevertheless.  She said...

"Of course it's normal.  Everyone feels envious of someone else..."

Those words shook me.  Normal??  Really?  Envy is normal??  I know that everyone feels that way sometime in their life, but I don't think I would call envy normal.  Dangerous, maybe.  Sinful, definately.  But normal??  I don't think so.

Envy is the entry point for so many other sins.  The story of Joseph in Genesis reminds us of that!

The story begins with Joseph, the favorite son, receiving a "richly ornamented robe" made especially by his father.  Boy, isn't he special.

It continues, just two verses later, with Joseph sharing his dreams with his brothers.  In one dream, Joseph's sheaf rose and stood upright and his brothers' sheaves gathered around and bowed to it.  In another dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to Joseph.

Of course Joseph could have kept these dreams to himself.  He could have kept his mouth shut about what God had revealed to him.  He could have tried to fit in.

But he's Joseph, the spoiled youngest son!  So... he starts rattling on...and on...and on!

And what happens next is pretty predictable: his brothers get jealous.  That is the natural progression of envy, after all.  First comes envy...then comes jealously.  Joseph's brothers get jealous the first time because of the robe.  "When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to them." (v. 4).  Then, after his first dream.  "...they hated him all the more."(v. 7)  And then after his second dream.  "...and they hated him all the more."(v. 8).  In fact, as if to emphasize the point, the text says: "His brothers were jealous of him."


Notice the progression??  Envy...leads to jealousy...leads to hatred!  Needless to say, envy had grown lush and full in their hearts!


And what does this envy lead to??  Violence!  That's where!  In a terrible turnabout, Joseph's brothers throw him into a cistern and then sell him to some slavers!


Satisfied at last that their envy is resolved, the brothers return to their father with the bloodied robe and the story of Joseph's death.

That's why envy is dangerous...not normal!

We all feel envy.   We're envious of our neighbors, of the vacation our friends are taking, or the success their children have found in life.  We are envious of another's new car or the kindness that they have received that we have not.  But we shouldn't give that envy room to grow in our hearts.  Like a noxious weed in our lives, envy needs to be pulled.  It cannot do you any good.  It will lead you only to hatred, isolation, loneliness, and bitterness of heart.  It is not loving!  Paul tells us "love is not envious."  Envy and love cannot live together in our hearts.  Compassion must take its place!

May God turn our eyes from our neighbor's possessions to the blessings He has already given us that we might not be envious but thankful for what we do have in life.  May we respond to them, not in hatred and envy, but with compassion and love.

Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the Universe!  You have blessed us beyond measure.  Empty our hearts of envy and fill our hearts with thankfulness, for Jesus sake.  Amen.