Have you ever been jealous of another person’s success? How did that affect you? How did that cloud your thinking about that person? The Apostle Paul encountered that jealousy of the Jews when numerous Gentiles began to place their faith in Jesus. Some of the Jews were so jealous that it clouded their thinking. Their emotions prevented them understanding the true Jesus which would have eternal consequences. They did not realize that jealousy was a trap by the enemy to focus on themselves and not the Lord.
Acts 17:1Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3 He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” 4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women. 5 But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot.[1]
Why are the Jews so upset that they begin a riot?
The gospel was preached in the synagogues with meager response from the Jews. The Gentiles, however, were responding in great numbers (both worshipers in the synagogues and others). Then, as had been the custom, the nonresponding Jews became jealous and set their sights on running these “heretics” out of town or worse. The Jewish leaders didn’t refute the theology of Paul and Silas, but they were jealous of the popularity of these itinerant preachers.[2]
How can I overcome being jealous?
You need to change your perspective to overcome jealousy. When I fill myself with gratitude and thankfulness suddenly jealousy begins to disappear. One of the best things about thankfulness is that the more you choose to practice it, the easier it gets. The more you profess gratitude, the more you notice things to be grateful for. The thankfulness muscles respond to exercise!
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. [3]
The peace that guards your hearts and minds will replace your jealousy. This is the kind of peace that leads to hope. To hear more about this, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/hope-in-persecution
[1,3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). Acts (p. 293). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.