When looking for an example of how to deal with the temptation this sin
brings, I found the story of the two sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. They
lived in the little town of Bethany. Luke 10:38-42 tells their story: "Now it
happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman
named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who
also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much
serving, and she approached Him and said, 'LORD, do You not care that my sister
has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered
and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many
things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will
not be taken away from her."
I know you have heard this story. Before you judge Martha too harshly,
think about her situation. She welcomed Jesus into her house, and he had his
disciples along, so there were many mouths to feed. There is no indication that
she knew he was coming. They didn't have freezers or microwave ovens. She
couldn't call Domino's or ride over to Wendy's. She had a lot of work on her
hands. She must have been tempted to pass judgment on her sister and on Jesus,
the same way Cain judged his brother and God. She could have let envy rise in
her heart-"Here I am working my rear end off for Him, and all he wants to do is
cuddle with my little sister, that trollop." She could have given in to
animosity. Can you hear those cupboard doors slamming and those pots banging on
the stove? Martha could have given herself license to wallow in the sin of
jealousy. She would have become obstinate, unbalanced, and selfish. Imagine
Martha bound by jealousy grumbling: "Let them eat yesterday's matzos. I'm,
sure as heck, not making anything fresh for these ingrates. What do they think
I am-a slave?!" This yoke would surely have caused her to miss seeing Jesus
raise her brother from the dead. She may even have lost the freedom to ask
Jesus for his help, when Lazarus was deathly ill.
But, Martha was not like Cain. She went to the LORD and told him how she
felt, and then she listened as He corrected her. By accepting the correction,
she ruled over the sin. She was one smart cookie. Can you hear the angels
applauding? And that is how we must handle this temptation, also.
Jesus died for each and every one of us. God is totally in love with you
and me. He has enough of everything to take care of everyone. He is eager to
bless each one of us, and also eager to teach each one of us. When the devil
comes around and starts making accusations about Him, do what my husband David
says: "Don't give the devil an inch-give him a foot!" (Then, he points to the
bottom of his foot.)
If you have been wounded by jealousy, I pray that you will allow the Holy
Spirit to minister to you. This sin is active in the church and it hurts. I
know. But don't pull back from the whole body because of someone's sin. Don't
be like Abel, and die in the field. Be like Joseph. Keep your heart clean, and
allow God to do a work in you.
If this sin has tried to grab you, be like Martha (I'll bet you haven't
heard that before!). Take God's correction and keep the lines of communication
with Him open. Don't open the door and allow this sin to rule over you. When
you do, you are missing a wonderful life that God has planned for you.
Precious Father, bless each person who reads this message. Minister to
every person that has been wounded by jealousy. Expose the seeds of jealousy in
our hearts, and give us the wisdom and power we need to resist these temptations
and rule over these evil spirits. Give us discernment to recognize the
operation of jealousy in the lives of our loved ones and help us to help others
be free from jealousy's hooks. Anoint us to destroy this yoke in your
children's lives, we ask in the Name of Jesus. Amen.