These are notes of a sermon preached many years ago (possibly 1994 or 1995) at Holy Trinity Norwich.

Text: 1 Cor 13:4 – ‘Love is not envious’

Envy is a member of a nasty little family of vices that also includes greed, covetousness and jealousy. As a public service, I have conducted some practical research over the past week, by trying out each of them in turn.

On Monday, at tea-time, there were four currant buns, and four of us sitting round the table. I helped myself to two buns, and my son cried out, ‘Dad, you’ve taken more than your fair share! That’s greedy!’ l jotted in my note-book: ‘Greed is wanting more than your fair share of something.’

On Tuesday, I happened to be chatting over the fence with my neighbour. I glanced at his house, his wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, and his donkey, and I thought, ‘They’re much better than mine (apart from the wife).’ My neighbour said, ‘l can see what you’re thinking. But you can’t have them. They belong to me. “Thou shalt not covet”.’ So I jotted down in my notebook: ‘Covetousness is wanting things that belong to someone else.’

On Wednesday, rny daughter came and had a chat with me about the new man in her life. He is young, handsome, rich and talented. His name is Ronan, and he’s a singer in some pop group. She’s completed besotted by him. I had to say to her, ‘lf you love him so much then you can’t have much love left to spare for your poor old dad.’ ‘Dad,’ she said, ‘l think you’re jealous.’ lnto the notebook went: ‘Jealousy is fear that someone you care for loves another more than they love you.’

On Thursday, I received a ‘phone call. This person said, ‘I just wanted to have a word with you about your sermon last Sunday. I thought it was one of your better ones,’ ! was just about to put the ‘phone down when this person added: ‘Oh, and did you hear that amazing sermon that the Curate gave us a couple of weeks ago? Wasn’t it wonderful? I’ve been coming to HT for forty years and I’ve never heard anything so moving, so inspiring, so awesome.’ I mumbled something about ‘Well, I’m glad you thought so,’ and inwardly resolved to let the Curate’s bicycle tyres down at the first possible opportunity. After I’d put down the phone, I happened to glance at my face in the mirror, and, sure enough, it was green from ear to ear. Out came the notebook: ‘envy is resentment at someone else’s popularity, success, or happiness.’

On Friday, I did some Bible study. I discovered in the OT a number of examples of envy, and these tell us a great deal about its character:-

Envy is murderous, Gen 4 – The case of Cain and Abel. Cain brought an unacceptable offering to the Lord; Abel brought an acceptable offering. Cain was envious of Ahel, and so killed him.

Envy is spiteful, Gen 26:14 – The case of lsaac and the Philistines. lsaac had become very wealthy and successful. The Philistines were envious of lsaac, blocked up the wells Abraham had dug.

Enry is irrational, 1 Sam 18 – The case of Saul and David. Saul had heard the women singing, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.’  Saul was envious of David, and before long, he was taking pot shots at him with his spear.

These may seem to be extreme cases. But envy can colour our everyday relationships in many different ways. We envy people because of their attractiveness, their health, their wealth, their popularity, their nice houses, their cars. No wonder then that Paul in Galatians 5 lists envy along with things like sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, and hatred as an act of the sinful nature as opposed to the fruit of the Spirit.

What a dreadful thing it would be if such a destructive attitude as envy could infect relationships between Christians. How awful if envy could fester right here within our fellowship, in our worship, in our home groups, in our outreach. But it can, and it does. This is Paul’s point in 1 Cor 13. This is why this great chapter on love, with its mention of envy, is sandwiched between two chapters on the exercise of spiritual gifts. Paul clearly has in mind the danger of envying one another’s spiritual gifts.

‘Tis very hard to behold our own gifts without pride, and the gifts of others without envy.’ (Vavasor Powell)

I wish I had your leadership ability! lf only I could get alongside people like you can! You’re so good at organising things! You such spiritual insight! You have such an awareness of God’s will! You see so many answers to prayer!

And I begin to wish that there were some way in which I could be more noticed, more valued, more important than you. And this is the essential character of envy. Envy has to do with self-image, self-esteem, self-worth. The envious person compares himself with another, and feels inferior. So he dreams of ways to increase his own self-importance, while plotting to diminish the well-being of others.

What of the solution to envy? Envy asks a perfectly reasonable question, ‘How much am worth?’ but then pollutes it by asking, ‘How much am worth in comparison with others?’ But the real question to ask is, ‘How much am worth to God?’

In the words of an old song by Graham Kendrick:

ls a rich man worth more than a poor man?
A stranger worth less than a friend?
ls a baby worth more than an old man?
Your beginning worth more than your end?
ls a president worth more than his assassin?
Does your value decrease with your crime?
Like when Christ took the place of Barabas
Would you say he was wasting his time?

Well how much do you think you are worth boy?
Will anyone stand up and say?
Would you say that a man is worth nothing
Until someone is willing is pay?
lf you heard that your life had been valued,
That a price had been paid on the nail.
Would you ask what was traded
How much and who paid it,
Who was he and what was his name?
lf you heard that his name was called ‘Jesus’,
Would you say that the price was too dear?
Held to the cross not by nails but by love
It was you broke his heart, not the spear,

Would you say you are worth what it cost him
You say ‘no’ but the price stays the same.
lf it don’t make you cry, laugh it off, pass him by
But remember the day when you throw it away
That he paid what he thought you were worth.

The person who can say with Paul, ‘The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me’ has already begun to conquer envy.

The solution to envy continues with the question, How much is God worth to me? A whole journey from envy to serenity is recorded for us in Psa 73, which begins with the confession, ‘l envied the prosperity of ungodly people’; moves on to the great turning point, ‘When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God;’and then concludes with an outpouring of praise, ‘Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.’

‘How much am worth to God; How much is God worth to me?’ The person who knows the answers to these questions is not far from dealing with the deadly virus of envy. And in its place will grow love. Love does not envy. Love and envy are incompatible, they cannot dwell in the same heart. why? Because envy says, ‘l want to be better than you,’ but love says, ‘l want you to have the best.’

‘lf we love our neighbour we shall be so far from envying his welfare, or being displeased with it, that we shall share in it and rejoice in it. His bliss and satisfaction will be an addition to ours, instead of impairing or lessening it…The prosperity of those to whom we wish well can never grieve us; and the mind which is bent on doing good to all can never wish ill to any.’ (M. Henry)

This, then, is what love is like:-

I am patient with you because I love you and want to forgive you.
I am kind to you because I love you and want to help you.
I do not envy your possessions or your gifts because t love you and want you to have the best.
I do not boast about my attainments because I love you and want to hear about yours.
I arn not proud because I love you and want to esteem you before myself.
I am not rude because I love you and care about your feelings.
I am not self-seeking because I love you and want to meet your needs.
I am not easily angered by you because I love you and want to overlook your offenses.
I do not keep a record of your wrongs because I love you and ‘love covers a multitude of sins.’

(Jerry Bridges)