Envy is described in the [New] King James Version of the Ancient Writings as an “evil eye.” In a story Jesus told about the owner of a vineyard, some workers were disgruntled because they worked for an entire day, but they received the same paycheck as others were hired to work for only the day’s final hour. The vineyard owner replied, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’” (Matthew 20:15 NKJV)
What does it mean to have an “evil eye?” A person looks at another with an “evil eye” when they see that person in a bad light, assume the worst in them, wish them misfortune because they possess more than they deserve in the viewer’s eyes, and wish their possessions for oneself. An “evil eye” is a synonym for envy, coveting what another has and hating that person for being blessed in some way.
As a byproduct of such an envious mindset, a person will speak bad things about that blessed person, for from the overflow of the heart (or one’s mindset) the mouth speaks. How can you recognize if somebody is envious or has an “evil eye?”
One can tell by another’s words and actions if a person is “green with envy.” The key indicators are malicious gossip, slander, and accusation, giving negative reports concerning others while discouraging others from going to the accused for their side of the story or for more information or context.
For instance, Pontius Pilate knew that it was out of envy that the religious experts and spiritual leaders handed Jesus over to them (see Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10). Pilate, as an outsider from the religious life of the Jewish community, could tell by observation that the members of the Sanhedrin didn’t want Jesus around because he had more spiritual authority and influence among the people of Israel than they did.
The Pharisees didn’t bind up the brokenhearted, but bound up heavy burdens for the people to carry without lifting a finger to help them (see Matthew 23; Proverbs 17:22; Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 61:1). But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lived with compassion, gave people rest from religious striving through his gospel of grace, and empowered the people to live lives full of hope, love, joy, peace, and faith-filled expectancy in the goodness of God (see Luke 4:18-19; Matthew 11:28-30).
The Pharisees did not heal the sick; they believed that healing was not for today. To them, the ministry of physical healing passed away in the time of the prophets of old as they were living in a different dispensation where God’s Holy Spirit just wasn’t as active quite the same way as before. Jesus, however, did not buy into their theology, but knew “the God who heals you” for who He really is. So Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (see Acts 10:38; Matthew 4:24; 8:16; 12:15; Mark 1:32-34; Luke 4:40; 5:15; 6:17-19).
Likewise, the Pharisees did not cast out demons from people. Rather, the people of Israel just came and went to synagogue every Sabbath with their inner demons hidden from view, and the people would leave just as bitter, depressed, envious, arrogant, rude, unkind, impatient, disrespectful, unforgiving, struggling with addiction and secret sins, guilty, ashamed, anxious, worried, etc. as the way they came. Maybe they put on a face that everything in their lives was okay when they met together, but they’d go back to the same old mindsets, struggles, addictions, behavioral and learning/communication disorders, and lifestyles after they went home.
However, Jesus came to set the captives free. As a good shepherd, Jesus would drive out the “wild beasts” that would torment, pursue, and persecute the intellect, will, and emotions of his sheep (see Ezekiel 34; Mark 1:12-13; Psalm 143:3; John 10). Jesus cast out demons and spoke the truth that would make free all who built their lives upon his words as their foundation for every area of their lives (see Matthew 12:22ff; John 8:31-32; Matthew 7:24-27; 1 John 4:18).
How did envy, or “an evil eye,” operate in the lives of the Pharisees? John the Baptist and Jesus had called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers.” What do vipers and envy have in common? In Acts 28, Paul gathered together a bundle of sticks to lay upon a campfire after surviving a shipwreck. As he laid those sticks upon the fire, however, the heat of the fire drove out a viper from that pile of sticks, and it fastened itself onto Paul’s hand.
However, Paul shook that viper off from his hand into the fire and suffered no ill-effects from that venomous snake bite that otherwise ought to have killed him. In the spiritual realm, envy is like a viper (see Job 5:2; 20:16; Proverbs 14:30). The Ancient Writings of the Bible often speak of venomous snakes as a reference for bitter, envious, toxic mindsets that tear others down (see Deuteronomy 32:24,33; Psalm 58:4; 140:3; Acts 8:23; 14:2; Romans 3:13; James 3:8). (1)
Just as the heat from the bonfire drew the viper out of hiding from Paul’s bundle of sticks, the fiery power of God manifested in the miracles of Jesus drew the envy lurking deep within the Pharisees “out of the woodwork.”
Before Jesus came onto the scene, most of the people of Israel likely never saw this side of the Pharisees so up-close-and-personal before. They trusted the Pharisees as the religious experts who were the pinnacle of what it looks like to live out an intimate, real, deep, authentic relationship with God.
Many people may have been surprised to see the Pharisees’ antagonism, hostility, or opposition to the ministry of Jesus. Their beloved pastors who gave them spiritual care did not praise God with joy, celebration, awe, and wonder when Jesus opened the eyes of a man born blind, healed children from learning and communication disorders, miraculously straightened out the hunched-over backs of those bound by years of scoliosis, etc. (see John 9, Luke 13:10-17; 11:14ff).
Such calloused reactions on the part of the Pharisees may have baffled the Jewish people who saw God intersect their lives so powerfully through this man, Jesus. Why didn’t the Pharisees follow Jesus and forsake their old ministry traditions whenever Jesus rebuked them for something?
Pride, bitterness, envy, fear of man, manipulative control, disillusionment from past hurts, and unbelief kept the Pharisees from forsaking all to submit everything in their lives to Jesus. They opposed and persecuted Jesus, accusing him of heresy and occultism, because they were too afraid to surrender everything for the sake of knowing, trusting, and following Jesus. To them, following Jesus just wasn’t worth the risk to their perceived reputations.
The pastors and theologians of Jesus’ day saw the Holy Spirit’s ministry through Jesus as a threat or “competition” rather than seeing Him as the Lord to whom they ought to joyfully surrender their old ways of thinking and living. Rather than humbling themselves and learning from Jesus, they envied Jesus because he was making a difference in people’s lives that they were not.
Consequently, they gossiped about and slandered Jesus, for (in the mystical, invisible spiritual realm) “the venom of asps was under their lips.” (see Romans 3:13). Mindsets of bitterness and envy resulted in words of gossip and slander in the lives of the Pharisees. Jesus said that from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks, and that envy (or an evil eye) proceeds from the heart (or mind[set]) of a person (see Matthew 12:34; 15:18-19; Mark 7:21-23; Luke 6:45).
To be honest, I can relate to the experiences of the Pharisees and to the people of Israel under their spiritual care. Growing up, there were times that I heard bad reports about pastors who were involved in healing the sick, seeing addicts set free, getting people to hope again, raising their expectations for God’s favor and goodness in their personal lives, and making a widespread difference in people’s lives. If a minister was accused of casting out demons, then I’d be really suspicious of demonic influence in that minister! Like the Pharisees, I would be very skeptical and antagonist whenever I heard such reports.
The theologians and pastors I listened to would give warnings about such preachers, and I would agree with those reports, simply taking their word for it. I would never listen to any preacher who was accused of preaching a message of healing for those with physical ailments or diseases, because what about all those people who prayed for healing, but it never happened? I wanted nothing to do with such a message for fear that “false hope” would lead to disappointment and make one more depressed than before.
Over the past five years, however, God has been leading me on a journey where I examine the Scriptures further on the topics of physical healing, deliverance from demons, etc. Some of my old assumptions have been challenged by Jesus’ words, ministry, and promises.
Over time, I prayerfully have even started listening to the sermons and reading the books of those pastors and ministers about whom I have only heard negative things during childhood and young adulthood. Surprisingly, many of the rumors, stereotypes, accusations, well-intentioned claims, and negative reports that I heard about their message and their lifestyles did not actually line up to the actual message of their books, sermons, and lifestyles when I examined their content for myself.
By deepening my level of trust and communication with God about His identity and who I am in Christ, I am amazed that God is more good, powerful, and active than I originally assumed based on my own past experiences and background. Whenever I opened up my heart and changed my mindset to trust and expect the miraculous from God, I have even seen more miracles and divine intervention in my life.
When a couple opportunities to pray for sick people came up, I was amazed to see God heal a lady in Bangladesh from blindness and a young lady in Japan from another vision disorder (perhaps triplopia, presuming by her description of seeing three overlapping images with her eyesight).
Both ladies cried tears of joy when God opened their eyes and they could see clearly again. The more I spend time with God and learn to trust Him and to take Him at His word, the more I can grow in and demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faith, humility, and self-discipline in my relationships with the people around me over time.
Although I may not yet perfectly demonstrate love as well as Jesus did in His relationships, I am committed to move in that direction more and more each day, no matter what obstacles or setbacks come my way. As I commit to the process of being transformed by the renewing of my mind, getting rid of the wrong mindsets (bitterness, envy, pride, fear, anxiety, worry, fear of what other people think of me, resentment, self-pity, holding a grudge, self-contempt, and other negative, toxic thoughts and beliefs like these) and learn to think the way that God thinks about me and the world, the more I can show and enjoy the love relationship He meant for me to live and fulfill the good plans for which He created, designed, and empowered me.
To learn more about knowing God personally and living free from negative mindsets like envy, bitterness, slander, accusation, etc., I recommend my post “Knowing the God Who Fights for You.”
(1) Passages accessed by word-searching “poison” in the NKJV on BibleGateWay.com.
