Jealousy

Exodus 20:4-5

You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.

Ever wonder how it is right for God to be jealous and yet wrong for us? Little words often make big differences. God is not jealous OF us, He is jealous FOR us.

What do I mean? I mean He does not want what we have, He wants what we are. He wants US: broken, crushed, empty, useless human beings. He does not care about our societal status, whether we are rich or poor. He cares not for our appearance, whether we are fat, skinny, tall, short, beautiful, or, well, not so much. Just like the father of the prodigal son who cared not for the poor, broken, filthy, wretched, disgusting, vile, awful smelling state of his son, but he cared for his son alone. The prodigal's father says, "for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found." The father ran to his son, hugged him, kissed him, wept, and rejoiced.

We do many foolish and hurtful things out of jealousy. It is a deep, strong emotion that compels us from deep within to seek after what we want regardless of the cost. Jealousy wants us to prove that we are better, smarter, prettier than the person we are jealous of. It compels us to justify our existence to those who look down on us and to seek their approval. All of us at some point have felt these emotions and how strong and consuming they are.

This is the picture I want to paint for you. God's desire for us is so strong that it compelled Him to take on human flesh, live among the very people who would kill Him, love them, heal them, raise them from the dead, and eventually die for their sin and for ours. Jesus, "who for the joy set before Him endured the cross," so that He could have a relationship with me. With me!! Such is His all consuming love.