Love does not envy. At the table the disciples argued who among them was the greatest, Jesus showed them all by kneeling down and washing their feet. If love does not envy, then perhaps our envying is an indictment of our lovelessness. Jesus humility the testimony of His great love.

“The lamp of the body is the eye, if your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” What is Jesus saying? Perhaps, when you look upon another’s gifting, accomplishments, wisdom, spiritual maturity, through a corrupted lens of jealousy and envy our eye then becomes bad. Only darkness comes through a bad eye. When we see the gifts and graces of God with a “bad eye” that judges, criticizes, and fault finds because of insecurity, then we receive only revelations of darkness instead of light. Jesus admonishes if a bad eye allows entrance to darkness you will be filled by it. The pharisees saw the miracles of Jesus that caused men to glorify God, and they murdered him for it.

They had bad eyes of envy that caused them to be full of darkness. Thoughts that despise the accomplishments of others, that degrade their good works when they outshines our own, a bitter coldness that withholds love and affirmation from those we fear would surpass us, are all signs of an inner man darkened and separated from the thoughts and emotions of God through envy.

James admonishes, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy, and self seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”