Matthew 27:18, “For he (Pilate) knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.”
Mark 15:10, “For he (Pilate) knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.”
Gen. 3:6, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable (or coveted) to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”
I was reading in the gospels the other day and ran across these scriptures. They remind me of Adam and his wife in the garden of Eden.
“Envy describes pain felt and malignity conceived at the sight of excellence or happiness. It means not just wanting what another person has, but also resenting that person for having it. It is an attitude of ill-will that leads to division and strife and even murder. When we envy, we cannot bear to see the prosperity of others, because we ourselves feel continually wretched.”1
In my opinion, this sounds like the root of socialism, but that could be a completely different blog.
Here is the root meaning of envy in the Hebrew:
“The parent birds go about gathering materials to build a nest where they will raise their eggs. The parent bird will guard over and protect the nest and eggs from predators. Man can guard over the family, wife, possessions in a positive way (protect, from the enemy) or in a negative way (by not trusting or a desire to have another’s possessions.)“2
Given the Hebrew definition, it seems we have a natural desire to protect and or nurture. This natural desire in us is changed and corrupted by fear and ignorance of truth into envy. The deception of envy is to say, “you are in lack” which is contrary to John 10:10, “To experience His life and experience it more abundantly or to overflowing.”
“Jealousy and envy are close in meaning, but nevertheless are expressive of distinct attitudes, for jealousy makes us fear to lose what we possess, while envy creates sorrow that others have what we do not have. In other words, we are jealous of our own possessions, but we are envious of another man’s possessions. Jealousy fears to lose what it has, while envy is pained at seeing another have it!“3
The deception of envy is someone else has it better than you. This is what the enemy told Eve in the garden.
1 Tim. 2:14 says, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”
So, Adam chose to miss the mark and the woman was deceived.
Now, Titus 2:12 says grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness. This grace is imparted by revelation of Christ, who is the Last Adamic pattern or tupos. We say no to ungodliness by this revelation because we are utterly convinced of truth. We say no because we sincerely want to say no and not because it appears right or seems like the right thing to do. We say no because it is His life in us that manifests His will in ours and ours in His. 2 Cor. 3:17 says in the Spirit we have liberty. This is freedom from sin and not to act out or practice sin. This is so because the liberty exists through truth. In truth, I do not want to sin. This truth has apprehended me and changed me in every way I could conceive or not able to conceive. It is constantly changing me into His image from faith to faith according to His word. He is the truth. His truth creates His righteous nature again in me by grace.
In this revelation of Him envy is not empowered because He is not in lack in me.
Love does not envy, 1 Cor. 13:4.
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