Jealousy is a terrible thing. In this essay it will be used synonymously with envy. Jealousy concerns covetousness with regard to people, whereas envy concerns covetousness with regard to property. The ninth commandment is specifically concerned with jealousy, and the tenth is specifically concerned with envy. Jealousy or envy – let me use jealousy for both – is very bad. It destroys people and families and whole communities. As a matter of fact, the reason I am an orphan today is because of jealousy. I abhor jealousy with all my heart. I never allow myself to be jealous. Rather, I admire. I am committed to understanding and doing away with jealousy wherever I find it, to the extent I can.
Let’s use James’ and John’s asking to sit at the right and the left of Jesus as a pericope with which to deal with the issue of jealousy. “James and John came to Jesus. They were the sons of Zebedee. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we would like to ask a favor of you.’ ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked. They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right hand in your glorious kingdom. Let the other one sit at your left hand.’ ‘You don't know what you're asking for,’ Jesus said. ‘Can you drink the cup of suffering I drink? Or can you go through the baptism of suffering I must go through?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink. And you will go through the baptism I go through. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those they are prepared for.’
“The other ten disciples heard about it. They became angry at James and John. Jesus called them together. He said, ‘You know about those who are rulers of the nations. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. Don't be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone. Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free’” (Mark 10:35-45).
Let’s take the passage apart, unpacking its themes. Jealousy is tied with pride and ambition. James and John were jealous of Jesus. They saw him as a King, and they wanted to share his royal honor. And so they came to ask for this. Similarly, we often agitate to be like others. We see those who are progressing and are doing well and we want to be like that. But we sometimes do not know the great effort they have put into becoming who or what they are. Jesus asks James and John in this regard, as we see above, “Can you drink the cup of suffering I drink? Or can you go through the baptism of suffering I must go through?”
Many times, we do not realize that rich people for example work so hard that they sacrifice everything else. Some rich people – you know, the ones we are tempted to envy – practically live in their offices. They often have no family life. Yet we envy them. We say, “Oh, we too would like to have no family life if that will make us rich.” We imagine that we can make all the sacrifices that the people we envy have made, if only we are given the chance. But that is not all. Jesus tells James and John that, even if they can make the same sacrifices he does, they still might not sit at the right and left. Why? Because those seats have been preordained as belonging to such and such. This is why some people for example might put in exactly the same amount of effort into something and still not end up with the same results others do.
God’s selective spirit from all time has made it that such and such a person will end up rich and such and such a person will not. This is why for example some people are born into wealthy families and enjoy material blessings from the get-go without even working a day in their lives. Others may work long days each day and still not achieve wealth. This is why as well some people may not study hard for an exam but pass very well, and others may put in a whole day’s effort studying and still do poorly. Some people may be very smart and still not lead their peers, and so on and so forth. Psalm 127:2 puts it beautifully thus: “It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for God gives to his beloved even while they sleep.” But why?
Is it just for God to favor some people this way? Why does he do this? He does this so that they can serve others with their gifts. The more God has given to a person, the more he wants them to use their gifts at the service of others. This is why for example wealthy people – the responsible ones among them – are very philanthropic; you name them: Bill Gates and his Foundation; Warren Buffet and his contributions to the Gates and Melinda Foundation; Bill Clinton and his Global Initiative. The list goes on. These people know that God has blessed them, and they want to use their blessings for others.
Recall in this regard the parable of the talents – we will take an entire post to discuss this parable. Recall how the master asked the talented ones to account for the gifts he had given them. To those that he gave more, more was expected: 5 for 5; 2 for 2, and so on. And so, those that are endowed with more gifts are supposed to do greater good, and will be judged far more harshly if they do not. This goes for material wealth, but even more so for spiritual wealth, the kind we can take with us after we die. Recall in this regard the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-13). With specific regard to the gift of wisdom for example, James says this: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Also, it is written: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:48b). Also, with regard to material wealth specifically, “Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him” (Psalm 49:16-17). And so, everything we are blessed with we are supposed to use in this world to help others and to further God’s plan.
Jesus says as much in the pericope we are concerned with. He says to his disciples that are indignant with James and John for the request they make of Jesus concerning sitting at his right and left: “Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone. Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.” And so, instead of envying others for what they have, realize that the competition is not for who has the most, but who serves the most. If you begin now serving with what you have, regardless of how little it is, you will be rewarded by far in the afterlife, and there would be no need to be jealous again, because you will have the most, and what is more you would have discovered how to have even more when you feel you’re not satisfied – serve more! So go out there and serve, serve, serve! Instead of being jealous, serve others!
Let’s use James’ and John’s asking to sit at the right and the left of Jesus as a pericope with which to deal with the issue of jealousy. “James and John came to Jesus. They were the sons of Zebedee. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we would like to ask a favor of you.’ ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ he asked. They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right hand in your glorious kingdom. Let the other one sit at your left hand.’ ‘You don't know what you're asking for,’ Jesus said. ‘Can you drink the cup of suffering I drink? Or can you go through the baptism of suffering I must go through?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink. And you will go through the baptism I go through. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those they are prepared for.’
“The other ten disciples heard about it. They became angry at James and John. Jesus called them together. He said, ‘You know about those who are rulers of the nations. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. Don't be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone. Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free’” (Mark 10:35-45).
Let’s take the passage apart, unpacking its themes. Jealousy is tied with pride and ambition. James and John were jealous of Jesus. They saw him as a King, and they wanted to share his royal honor. And so they came to ask for this. Similarly, we often agitate to be like others. We see those who are progressing and are doing well and we want to be like that. But we sometimes do not know the great effort they have put into becoming who or what they are. Jesus asks James and John in this regard, as we see above, “Can you drink the cup of suffering I drink? Or can you go through the baptism of suffering I must go through?”
Many times, we do not realize that rich people for example work so hard that they sacrifice everything else. Some rich people – you know, the ones we are tempted to envy – practically live in their offices. They often have no family life. Yet we envy them. We say, “Oh, we too would like to have no family life if that will make us rich.” We imagine that we can make all the sacrifices that the people we envy have made, if only we are given the chance. But that is not all. Jesus tells James and John that, even if they can make the same sacrifices he does, they still might not sit at the right and left. Why? Because those seats have been preordained as belonging to such and such. This is why some people for example might put in exactly the same amount of effort into something and still not end up with the same results others do.
God’s selective spirit from all time has made it that such and such a person will end up rich and such and such a person will not. This is why for example some people are born into wealthy families and enjoy material blessings from the get-go without even working a day in their lives. Others may work long days each day and still not achieve wealth. This is why as well some people may not study hard for an exam but pass very well, and others may put in a whole day’s effort studying and still do poorly. Some people may be very smart and still not lead their peers, and so on and so forth. Psalm 127:2 puts it beautifully thus: “It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for God gives to his beloved even while they sleep.” But why?
Is it just for God to favor some people this way? Why does he do this? He does this so that they can serve others with their gifts. The more God has given to a person, the more he wants them to use their gifts at the service of others. This is why for example wealthy people – the responsible ones among them – are very philanthropic; you name them: Bill Gates and his Foundation; Warren Buffet and his contributions to the Gates and Melinda Foundation; Bill Clinton and his Global Initiative. The list goes on. These people know that God has blessed them, and they want to use their blessings for others.
Recall in this regard the parable of the talents – we will take an entire post to discuss this parable. Recall how the master asked the talented ones to account for the gifts he had given them. To those that he gave more, more was expected: 5 for 5; 2 for 2, and so on. And so, those that are endowed with more gifts are supposed to do greater good, and will be judged far more harshly if they do not. This goes for material wealth, but even more so for spiritual wealth, the kind we can take with us after we die. Recall in this regard the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-13). With specific regard to the gift of wisdom for example, James says this: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Also, it is written: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:48b). Also, with regard to material wealth specifically, “Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him” (Psalm 49:16-17). And so, everything we are blessed with we are supposed to use in this world to help others and to further God’s plan.
Jesus says as much in the pericope we are concerned with. He says to his disciples that are indignant with James and John for the request they make of Jesus concerning sitting at his right and left: “Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone. Even the Son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.” And so, instead of envying others for what they have, realize that the competition is not for who has the most, but who serves the most. If you begin now serving with what you have, regardless of how little it is, you will be rewarded by far in the afterlife, and there would be no need to be jealous again, because you will have the most, and what is more you would have discovered how to have even more when you feel you’re not satisfied – serve more! So go out there and serve, serve, serve! Instead of being jealous, serve others!
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