Fridays with Jesus

Episode 36

In a company, there was a lady who loved his workmates more than ever. As a sign of the lady's love for her workmates, every single day she would brew the most delicious coffee on the planet just for them. Her workmates loved the lady's generosity to the point that she had become their favorite. Until one day, a workmate who was envy of the lady remarked something bad about the lady's brewing of coffee. The envy workmate said, "No need to brew coffee for us because you are just wasting your time doing it. Don't let everyone suffer from your bland and cheap coffee." After hearing the remarks, the lady did not anymore bother to brew coffee for her workmates.

Envy is defined as resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage. By this mere definition, we can draw how devastating envy can bring to all of us. When we are envious, we cannot find any reason to make others deserve prestige, good fortune, and happiness. Or when others are envious of us, no matter how excellent we deliver, we will still remain nothing because for these people, we are unworthy of what we have.

In today's gospel (Jn. 10: 31-42), we find the envy Jews who said to Jesus, "We are not stoning you for doing a good work, but for insulting God; you are only a man, and you make yourself God." Look at how the Jews belittled Jesus. They never thought of any possibility except that Jesus was only a man. The Jews' mind was already fixed perhaps they thought, "Jesus cannot do something ordinary because he is only a human like us. Why would he be so wise, he is just a carpenter's son. He is a proud brat. He deserves to die!" Moreover, if we try to look into the disposition of Jesus, then we can see that as far as his mission is concerned, He is not thinking of Himself compared to our envy who, at times, would only think of ourselves. When Jesus was bashed, He still persevered in his mission. When Jesus was unappreciated, He never complained. When Jesus was sentenced to death, He accepted it. May everyone of us find cure to our envy by letting Jesus- the selfless God- dwell in our hearts. Amen.

TGIFY-Reflection #36
(Thank God It's Fri Yey!)
April 3, 2020