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“Love Envieth Not”
| Bro J Webster (UK)
T
he heart of man cannot contain both of
these feelings. If we have the love spoken
of in (1 Cor 13:4-8) we cannot have the envy;
they are opposed the one to the other; for
envy is, indeed, one of the worst of the “works
of the flesh.” Solomon informs us in Proverbs
27:4, that “Wrath is cruel and anger is outra-
geous: but who is able to stand before envy?”
True brethren and sisters will guard against
anger and wrath, but how much more against
envy? Anger, though a danger, is oft-times of
short duration, but envy is nursed in the heart,
brooded over, is ready to imagine evil, to
magnify small grievances, to belittle faithful-
ness in the one who is the object of envy, and
leads to many grievous sins as a few moments’
thought will enable us to readily perceive.
The pages of Scripture make
manifest the ends to which envy
leads. Stephen, in the address
recorded in Acts 7, tells his
hearers that “the patriarchs,
moved with envy, sold Joseph
into Egypt,” thus bringing trouble
for their brother, sorrow for their
father, and afterwards great
uneasiness in their own minds. The leaders of
the people to whom Stephen spoke had them-
selves been responsible for a greater crime,
the death of Jesus himself, and “Pilate knew
for envy they had delivered him”. The apostle
Paul was opposed by the Jews both at Thessa-
lonica and Antioch; they were “moved with
envy” because almost the whole city came to
hear the word of the Lord.
But the Scripture also gives us splendid exam-
ples of the Love that envieth not. One such
example is in the history of Jonathan and
David. Saul’s envy of David was obvious from
the day when it was sung, “Saul hath slain his
thousands and David his ten thousands,” and
therefore Saul “eyed David from that day and
forward.” But Jonathan loved David. This
brought upon his head his father’s anger; yea,
Saul incited him to envy, saying “for as long as
the son of Jesse liveth, thou shalt not be
established nor thy kingdom.” That Jonathan
realised the truth of these words is evident,
for he said to David, “Thou shalt be king over
Israel, and I shall be next unto thee,” and was
apparently content that it should so be. It is a
good example of the love that envieth not; no
resentment was shown between these two,
and so, at Jonathan’s death, David mourns:
“I am distressed for thee, my brother
Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been to
me: thy love for me was wonderful.”
The apostle Paul teaches that the same spirit
should dwell in the brethren and sisters of
Christ. The affections and lusts of the world
should be eschewed by God’s children. Envy is
common among men and women who know
not God. In business or private life there are
those who are envious of
another’s position, or wealth, or
attainments. But it is a character-
istic which should be entirely
foreign to the saints, and yet the
many exhortations in the word
remind us that we can succumb to
this evil; for James writes, “If ye
have bitter envying and strife in
your hearts, glory not and lie not
against the truth,” and goes on to say that
“where envying and strife is, there is confu-
sion and every evil work.”
Let us then be on our guard. It is possible to
envy another’s knowledge and ability to
expound the Word, but we should rather
rejoice that the truth can be proclaimed in
such manner. We can envy the attainments of
others or the talents they possess, and yet not
be using the talents we have. Let us endeavour
to cultivate the fruits of the spirit and in so
doing we shall “not be desirous of vain glory,
provoking one another, envying one another”.
Let us endeavour to follow the “more excel-
lent way”. When we recall God’s love to us,
manifested in so many ways, but especially in
the opportunity to obtain salvation; when we
remember the love of Jesus Christ, who laid
down his life for his friends.
“A sound heart
is the life of the
flesh, but envy
the rottenness of
the bones”
Proverbs 14:30