03-13-2020 Greed, Jealousy & Fear

Who are you afraid of? It is fear that the readings are about today. In the first reading Joseph ends up in a tough spot because his brothers were jealous and greedy. They initially were going to kill him but after finding a better option (to make some money) they ended up selling him to a caravan of Ishmaelites.

I asked myself while reading this story from Genesis (GN 37:3-4, 12-13A, 17B-28A) why did Joseph’s brothers want to kill him? I came to the conclusion it was fear. They were afraid that Joseph was going to inherit more than they were. Their fear was driven by jealously and greed.

Who are you jealous of maybe because of greed? I know I have been jealous of people in my life. What makes us jealous? In my case it is material things. It’s money, it’s cars, it’s business success, it’s popularity. The problem occurs when I compare myself. I think to myself “I work as hard as anybody and why shouldn’t I be the most successful.“

The Psalm response gives me a clue about what I do wrong when I compare myself to others. It says to “Remember the marvels the Lord has done.” I am too busy looking at the marvels in someone else’s life rather than my own. My mom always used to remind us to count OUR blessings. I certainly have many.

What happens when you go too far to try to get what others have? You certainly risk taking advantage of them. In today’s Gospel Jesus uses a parable about a vineyard owner who goes on vacation to explain what the leaders of the Israelite church were doing to their followers and God’s prophets. In order to protect their wealth and position they were ignoring God and killing His servants. This may be an extreme example of where greed and jealously lead, but it’s a efficacious example of what not to do.