"Love does not envy" (1Corinthians 13:4).

IDEA: Envy is a very hidden sin, and therein lies its danger.

An ancient legend says that the devil was once crossing the Libyan desert. He came across a gang of small demons gathered in a circle around a holy man. The demons were tempting the holy man to sin. They tried everything.

 They scorched him with the hot desires of his body.

 They attacked him with fears and doubts.

They told him that his devotion to God was a pathetic waste of his life.

Nothing worked. The holy man remained unmoved.

Then, so the legend goes, the devil stepped forward. Addressing his demons, he said, “Your methods are far too crude for a first-rate saint. Let me show you how to handle someone like this.”

Sidling up to the holy man, the devil whispered, “Have you heard the news? Your closest friend has just been made bishop of Alexandria.”

The legend says that a look of malignant jealousy clouded the serene face of the holy man.

Do you think this is only a legend with no truth in it?

What is the essence of that story?

I. Envy is a sin that afflicts the best of people. We see it in ourselves, if we’re honest, but we don’t necessarily see it in others.

Envy is easy to hide.

If a deacon staggers into church with alcohol on his breath, or an usher curses in anger in the narthex, everyone knows about it. But we can sit through a church service envying everyone around, and nobody but God knows our sin.