2019-02-03T08:00:00-06:00
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright (c)2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. http://www.esv.org
If you’re a warrior king, wouldn’t you enjoy a song lyric that credits you with striking down thousands? Unless, of course, the next line mentions your rival striking down his ten thousands (1 Samuel 18:7). If you’re a troubled king, wouldn’t you be grateful for a skilled musician who play you back into your right mind? Unless, of course, that psalmist is your replacement and the man after God’s own heart. Jealousy is never a solitary tree growing in a field; it’s a beautiful tree growing in the shadow of an even more beautiful tree. C.S. Lewis reminds us that pride is “essentially competitive.” Shouldn’t we be content with our abilities, our resources, our ministry, and our relationships? Of course, until we see someone with more talent, more wealth, more fruitfulness, and more fulfilling relationships. Jealousy grows in the freshly plowed soil of wounded pride, when God doesn’t deliver what we think we deserve. And if we don’t dig up the bitter root, the insanity of sin grows like kudzu. We may not throw spears or send people into battle hoping they’ll fall by the sword, but just like Saul, we can fall into this downward spiral of pride, anger, fear, jealousy, and violence. How are pride and jealousy at work in our lives in this season? Where do we feel like we’re not getting what we deserve?
If we see ourselves in the sinful insanity of Saul, is there any hope for us? Jonathan, the crown prince and Saul’s son, shows us another way. If Saul’s eyes are fixed on himself and his rival, Jonathan’s eyes appear to be fixed on the true King, the God of Israel. Through eyes of faith, Jonathan sees what the Lord is doing in his father’s life and in David’s life. David is the chosen king of Israel, and rather than fight him, Jonathan embraces him. Jonathan’s choice to love and protect David costs him his shot at the throne and his relationship with his father. Why is Jonathan embracing his rival instead of eliminating him? He has the humility to see that life and the kingdom are not ultimately about him. Jonathan, with his sacrificial love and willingness to be cut off from his father, reminds us of another Son who came as King. Jesus Christ is the true and greater Jonathan. Though He was the King of kings, He did not press for His privileges or demand what He deserved. His humility is astounding. We didn’t understand what Jesus was doing, so we threw the spear at Him. He threatened our kingdom, so we tried to eliminate Him. But in dying on the cross, He was loving and protecting us—His enemies—that we might become His friends. Do we know the humble love of Jesus Christ? Is it striking down our pride and uprooting our jealousy? As we look at the world today, are we seeing through eyes of faith? Are we little kings and queens with sandcastle kingdoms, or are we beloved sons and daughters of the King who has come and is coming again?