On Jealousy and Self-Interest

Reflection on Num 11:25-29; Ps 19:8, 10, 12-14; James 5:1-6; Mk 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48

JEALOUSY is a sin rooted in prideful self-interest. It divides and destroys. Jealousy was the motive behind the first murder in human history when Cain killed his brother Abel. Jealousy drove King Saul to plot and attempt to kill the young David several times. Prov 14:30 says, “a tranquil mind gives life to the body, but jealousy rots the bones.” This Sunday’s Scripture readings warn of the dangers of fleshly jealousy to the community of God.

Out of jealousy, Joshua urged Moses to stop the prophetic activities of two men who did not join the gathering of the seventy elders. In the spirit of openness and inclusion, Moses corrected Joshua: “Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow His Spirit on them all!" Out of jealousy, the disciple John tried to prevent someone outside their company from driving out demons in Jesus’ name. In the spirit of openness and inclusion, Jesus corrected John: "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”

What was behind the jealousy of Joshua and John? It was obviously not genuine concern for the interest of their masters. The “outsiders” they were worried about were not a threat, but rather appeared to be of help to the work of their masters. Could it have been self-interest? This explanation may be true particularly in the case of John, as other gospel accounts narrate how he and his brother James asked to be at the side of Jesus- a position of power and honor- in His kingdom. The point is this: jealousy can not have fellowship with wisdom (Wis 6:23). In their jealous self-interest, these two disciples could not think as God does, but as men do. They correctly observed the sure signs of anointing among the “outsiders”, anointing which could have come only from God. But because they were not open His purposes in granting the anointing, they could not comprehend His will.

God’s will is that we all share in His life through Jesus. In obedience to His will, His Son Jesus died for us all, so that we who were separated can be reconciled with the Father. To empower us to remain and to grow in Him, He gave us His Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit’s gifts that equip us to carry out the Lord’s command to make disciples of all nations, to bring all peoples into communion with His universal church. It is with this church that all men are to undertake the journey of faith, from the transitory to the permanent, from the seen to the unseen, from earth to God.

Our faith in God, while rooted in our hearts, must branch out to others, so that others may share in it too. To branch out is to reach out; to reach out is to be open to all. The tree branches out to wherever the light directs it. We must reach out to wherever and whomever the Lord of light directs us to. Since there is no partiality in God, there should be no partiality in us.

Reaching out requires faithFULLness and sacrifice on our part. Reaching out to others is a ministry that must find its strength and inspiration from a faith that is fully founded on Christ. The love and goodwill that we extend to others must come from Christ. Broken as we are, we have none or little to give of our own. Sacrifice is required, because the weaknesses of our flesh often tend to get into the way of God’s work. Our mission is to bring others to the Lord, not away from the Lord.

For this reason, the Lord warns His followers not to be a cause of sin to others. Our hands, feet, eyes - our life’s witness - must be a source of blessing rather than condemnation to others. By ourselves, this is impossible. With God, everything is possible. The sacrifice required is dying to self, that Christ may increase in us.