©1998-2016
Fellowship
Life of Moses
Et tu, Brute?
Numbers 12.1ff
Orig. 12/28/3; ed. 1.24.16
Introduction… Ever been jealous before? Why? Is jealousy normal? Why do people get jealous? What is at the heart of jealousy?
How long did it take for jealousy to rear its ugly, deadly, destructive head within the biblical story? Try the first murder in Gen. 4? And who was it between and what were the deadly repercussions? Try between two brothers seeking to please God. I mean, even if something noble, such as seeking to bring appropriate offerings to God, can trigger hidden jealousies, then anything can and will. We all want to be loved, and somehow, when we perceive someone is getting better than we are, suddenly what was sufficient, now becomes less than…and less than can become deadly.
On the other hand, have you experienced the painful side affects of someone else’s jealousy towards you? You were just being you, and then someone, because of your position or gifts or success, turned on you from seemingly out of nowhere, perhaps even a sibling?
It’s a weird feeling. Typically, we don’t prepare our children for this type of experience. We tend to teach our children that the world is a good place…that justice prevails, and therefore, we are to do the right thing and we will be rewarded for it, right? Wrong. We forget to tell them, that even though they should still seek to do the right thing, your success can and usually does mean someone’s jealousy. Thus also the need to teach our kids about true humility even in the midst of perceived success.
