The murderous obsession of envy
A couple of columns ago, I promised to answer the following question: What was it that made some very important men decide to plot against Christ and kill Him?
Matthew 27:17, 18 - “Pilate said unto them, ‘Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?’ For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.”
It was envy. Simple … evil … bloodthirsty envy.
Envy, the ugliest of sins, and one of the Seven Deadly, is the insatiable desire to have what someone else has. The thought of another person having what you believe you deserve can become so all-consuming that it turns idle thoughts into an obsession. Moreover, this obsession to have what you are convinced “belongs” to you soon becomes all you can think about, talk about, and even maliciously plot to obtain.
But what was it about Christ that incited envy in Judas, the chief priests, scribes, and the elders of the people (Matthew 26:3-4)? What was it that Christ had that they did not have?
Christ fed thousands of people. They never miraculously fed anyone. Christ made blind men see, deaf men hear, and the lame walk. They never healed anybody. Christ touched lepers and socialized with prostitutes and tax collectors. They would never dare touch a leper or hang with known sinners.
The worse part? The people also knew that their religious leaders never did those things. That’s why they climbed trees, cut holes in roofs, and traveled long distances to see this man of God and feel of His love.
Just imagine the conversations these small men had in their little dark rooms. “Did you hear what he did last week? Do you really think he walked on water? Who the hell walks on water?” “How dare he heal that boy servant of that low-life Roman centurion? A heathen of a heathen?!?” “And who does this man think he is riding into town on a f#*&ing* donkey with all those losers dancing around him thinking he’s all that?” “We’ll show him. The same people who shouted out, ‘Blah, blah, Hosanna, He’s our king,’ will be the same stupid dumbasses that will shout out, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’”
And that’s what happened. Less than a week later, “the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.” (Matthew 27:20).
Their deep insecurities and, ultimately, their fear of losing their authority and power over the people created murderous envy in their hearts. Watching Christ being sought after by the people while he publicly called them vipers and snakes was more than they could handle. So they decided to give their people their King. They mocked Him and scourged Him with 40 lashes of the whip. They dressed Him in a royal crimson robe and pushed a crown of thorns into His head. On the cross that Christ was nailed on, they fastened a sign with these words, “Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.” And to make sure that the whole world knew why Christ had to be put to death by crucifixion because of blasphemy against God, they wrote this sign in the three main languages of the day: Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.
So … the answer to the question of why religious zealots killed this man? Religion fears the life-changing power of love.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
*Believe me, if they had it inside their hearts to kill a man, they had no problem using profanity.
