Don’t envy evil

“Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways,”
-Proverbs 3:31

I was getting my lunch together today to eat and then write this very entry when I happened upon some celebrity gossip magazines. There are plenty of them in grocery stores and the like, surely. The covers promised juicy gossip about the most faddish stars. What draws us to these magazines? Gossip? Of course. Envy? Yes. Godliness? Obviously not. We want to be like these people, always on TV and living in enormous homes.

It’s not just Hollywood. We regard almost anyone wealthy in this way. We either want to know how they did it (so we can do it too) or tear them down out of jealousy. My home state, as do many, has a lottery, where the state makes tons of money every year off people who are trying to get it all without working for it. We want to be rich. We want to be successful.

This is not a verse against success. The Bible is not opposed to success or being wealthy. It’s about what we’re willing to do to get there.

This verse tells us not to envy violent men. “Violent men” is the literal translation, but the connotation gives us something a little more board. It’s talking about those who murder and hurt to get their way, those who cheat and steal. Those who are successful by pulling others down.

We know about people like this, right? We hear about the CEOs who get rich off the backs of their employees. We hear about those who take lavish vacations while at the same time firing people “to save money.” We hear about those who stab others in the back just to get ahead. We hear of those who manipulate others just to make a buck.

Do we envy them? How far would you go to be like one of those celebrities? Who would you step on to get there? Who would you hurt? What price would you pay?

You may scoff at the question. I wonder if you tried to make a coworker look bad last year so you would get the promotion instead. I wonder if you cheated on your taxes, making another pay your share, to save a little. Did you try to squeeze every penny out of a business deal? How much do you neglect your family in order to stay late at work?

When Jesus was tempted in the desert, he was offered the world if He would just bow a knee to Satan. Just like that, He could have had it all. Instead, He chose homelessness, ridicule, and finally death. He did it because there are things that are more important than fame and money. There is love. And that’s why He died – for love.

We have all fallen into those moments of greed and envy, but on the Cross Jesus paid the price for the sins we have committed. Instead of taking all He the wealth He could from this world, He instead asked for the sin and death we should have paid. In repentance and faith in Him, we can be free from our envy and greed. Instead of seeking after those things, we can find life.