Homily on Envy

Homily on Envy—Continued
By Basil

What was it that brought the noble Joseph into slavery? Was it not the envy of his brothers? Fearing the fulfilment of the dream, they made their own brother a slave, as though they could never be brought to bow before a slave. But their cleverness was overturned by the providence of God; for the very thing by which they thought to hinder the prophecy clearly opened the way for its fulfilment. Had he not been sold, he would not have come to Egypt. He would not, by his chastity, have escaped the snares of the unchaste woman; he would not have been cast into prison; he would not have been known to Pharaoh’s servants; he would not have interpreted their dreams; and through these he would not have become ruler of Egypt, so that by reason of the famine his brothers came and bowed before him, fulfilling the vision they had tried to destroy.

Consider also the greatest envy of all, which concerned the greatest thing of all: the fury of the Jews against the Saviour. Why did they envy Him? Because of His wonders. But what were these wonders? Salvation for the needy. The hungry were fed—and He who fed them was repaid with enmity. The dead were raised—and they envied the One who made them live. Demons were driven out—and they plotted against Him who cast them out. Lepers were cleansed, the lame walked, the deaf heard, the blind received their sight; yet their Benefactor was forced to flee. Finally, they delivered to death the very One who bestowed life. They scourged the Liberator of mankind; they condemned the Judge of the world. The evils of envy spread everywhere. With this one weapon, the destroyer of our life—the devil—has, from the foundation of the world until its end, wounded and cast down all. He rejoices in the ruin of man; for he himself fell through envy and seeks to drag us down by the same sin. Wise indeed was the man who commanded that we should not even eat with an envious person. (Prov. 23:6). By “eating together” he means all close fellowship in life. As we take care to keep anything easily inflamed far from the fire, so we should keep ourselves—as far as possible—from the envious, out of the range of envy’s arrows. For there is no way to become entangled in envy except by drawing close to the one who harbours it. As Solomon says: “A man’s jealous anger arises from his companion.”

The Scythian is not envious of the Egyptian; each is envious of his own tribesman. Among the same nation, men do not envy the unknown, but their own acquaintances—especially their neighbours, colleagues, and those closely connected to them. And among these, most of all their equals, their relatives, their brothers. As rust-blight is a disease to grain, so envy is a sickness within friendship.

Perhaps someone may be tempted to praise envy, saying that the burden falls most heavily upon the one who bears it: for when weapons hurled with force strike something that resists with strength, they rebound upon the one who threw them. So also, the stirrings of envy: when they do not wound the one they are aimed at, they pierce the envious man himself. For whom has ever lessened his neighbour’s advantage by grieving over it? He has only tormented himself and consumed himself with sorrow.

Just as vultures fly past many pleasant meadows, many fragrant and delightful places, to descend upon what stinks; and as flies pass by the sound flesh to swarm around wounds—so it is with the envious. They do not look upon the splendour of life or the greatness of good deeds; they throw themselves upon what is base. If someone stumbles—as often happens among men—this they report, and by this they wish others to be judged. They resemble bad painters who, from a crooked nose, a scar, or a blemish—whether congenital or caused by sickness—form their entire portrait. They are skilled also in splattering stains on what is worthy of praise, twisting it into the worst interpretation and slandering virtue by means of the vice that lies nearest. The courageous they call reckless; the temperate, dull; the just, cruel; the wise, malicious. The noble-minded they accuse of wastefulness; the generous of extravagance; the thrifty they call a miser. In short: for every virtue, they invent a name taken from the opposite vice.

Deliverance from Envy

And now—shall I end my discourse merely with an accusation against this sin? No; that would be only half the remedy. To show the sick man his disease as it truly is so that he may seek healing, is not useless; but to leave him there, without bringing him to health, would be like abandoning the patient to his weakness. What then shall we do, so that the disease may not attack us at the beginning, or so that we may be healed after being wounded? First, we should not regard anything merely human as great or exalted. Let us not count prosperity and honour as enviable, nor bodily wellbeing as something extraordinary. For we hold that not all good consists in what perishes; we are called to partake of the true and eternal goods. Therefore, let not the rich man be deemed enviable merely for his wealth, nor the powerful for his rank, nor the learned for his eloquence. For these are instruments of virtue if rightly used; but they do not contain blessedness in themselves. But if a man uses rightly what he has at hand, he is a steward of God’s gifts, not gathering for his own pleasure. Such a man is worthy to be praised and loved for his brotherly and compassionate spirit. If a man excels in wisdom, if he is honoured with the ability to speak of God and to interpret the holy words, then bear no envy toward such a one, and do not think of silencing the interpreters of Scripture, even though the gift of the Spirit brings with it goodwill and honour from the hearers. For this good is yours; through your brother the gifts of instruction are sent to you, if only you will receive them. No one covers his eyes when the sun shines; likewise, when spiritual speech pours forth in the congregation and the heart of a godly man is opened by the gifts of the Spirit, do you not gladly listen? Do you not gratefully receive what is beneficial? Yet the applause of the hearers troubles you, and you would prefer that none should be enriched or edified by the word. How shall such a disposition stand before the judgment of our hearts’ Judge? Therefore, we must hold that what is good for the soul is good in itself. If someone flourishes in wealth, or boasts great power or bodily health, and uses what he has rightly, then he should be esteemed and loved as one who possesses the goods of life—provided he employs them in the right way. This is the case when, in possessing wealth, he gladly gives to the needy; when with bodily strength he serves the weak; and when he considers all his remaining possessions as belonging not only to himself, but equally to anyone who has need.