Dear People Whom God Loves,
We now look at envy in our consideration of being human. Envy comes from comparing ourselves to other people. This comparison usually blinds us to what is real. It can keep us from seeing what our own situation and gifts are. Reflect on Jesus’ parable about the laborers in the vineyard who all received the same daily pay whether they worked one whole day or one hour. Our immediate reaction is that the owner of the vineyard was not treating them fairly. What is Jesus trying to get us to see? What is the deeper reality?
The laborers who began work in the early morning were delighted when they got the job. This meant that they could feed and take care of their families the next day. I am sure that they were grateful.
What was the owner’s point of view? He saw that these other men throughout the day needed work to care for their families. He realized that unless they received a full-day’s pay, they could not adequately provide for their families. Their needs were the same as the needs of the early laborers. His generosity and compassion moved him to allow all of them to provide for their families. The early workers—by their comparison and envy—lost the gratitude they had when the day began. They made themselves miserable.
Love (God) gives herself to all people whether church or society labels them good or bad. That Love is a gift for our healing. The name we give to ultimate healing is salvation. Love wills salvation for everyone. That is why Love offers herself to everyone and doesn’t restrict herself to our categories of “good” and “bad” people. Our labels so often are superficial.
We can make reasonable judgments about people’s actions as good or bad. We are not capable of classifying people as good or bad. That is because we cannot see deep into the brain and heart of people. We can know their story completely only from the inside. It is entirely possible that “good people” sin more by our judgments than we “bad people” do by our actions. I think that is why Jesus told us not to judge.
Our envy and comparisons make us miserable, unhappy, and bitter. They drive away the gratitude and joy from the blessings that we have. More next time.
Smile, God Loves You,
Father Clay
Leave a Reply