Don’t see the audio player? Click here.
Jealousy is an emotion that can be either good or bad. Good jealousy, for example, is what married people expect of each other. They want exclusive relationships in order to foster a happy and permanent marriage. Bad jealousy stems from fear and insecurity; it leads to hatred, hostility, and can even cause the destruction of another’s life. When we look at the resentment the Pharisees had toward Jesus, it’s clear they had bad jealousy. We read in Mark Chapter 3, that in the synagogue, Jesus saw a man with a deformed hand. Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched Him closely. If He healed the man’s hand, they would accuse Him of working on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come, and stand in front of everyone.” Then He turned to His critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer Him. He looked around at them angrily, deeply saddened, and healed the man. Immediately, these Pharisees went away and plotted how to kill Jesus. They were jealous of His popularity, miracles, authority, and His ability to teach. Today, we must be very careful, lest our desires for position, power, prestige, or material possessions lead us to have bad jealousy.
