What is the Sin of the Evil Eye?

# 466 - Today's Living Word comes from Mr 7:21,22 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.

Next on the list of “evil things,” is an evil eye. What? When's the last time you heard a sermon warning you about having an evil eye? What is Jesus talking about here?

One of the helpful sayings for understanding Scripture is: “Scripture interprets Scripture.” In other words, it is helpful to use cross-references when studying Scripture. Are there other places in Scripture where the “evil eye” is mentioned?

In Mt 20:15 we read, 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your “eye evil” because I am good?' The occasion of this passage is a parable that Jesus was telling about the laborers who worked for one hour and received the same pay as those who worked all day. Those who worked all day were complaining about this arrangement. Their sin was envy, and Jesus called it “an evil eye.”

This is a great evil. Don't believe me? Read the Book of Genesis sometime and see it raise it's ugly head in Cain's heart. Envious of Abel, he rises up and kills his own brother! Then there was Esau, who swore vengeance on his brother because Jacob received the blessing of Isaac. Then there were Joseph's brothers. They would've killed him for envy over their father's preferential treatment of Joseph, but they sold him into slavery instead.

Oh, beware of the evil eye! See it raise up in your own heart whenever you feel you've been treated unfairly. If it is not curbed it can lead you to do horrible things to other people in word and deed.

When you struggle with the evil eye, the cure is to look at the cross and see what unfair treatment is really about. Has anyone ever been that unfairly treated? Why should Jesus have to die for our sins? What did He do?

You and I will never be that unfairly treated, and that is reason enough to put aside the sin of “the evil eye.” Rather than fall into the trap of the evil eye, let us fall into the arms of Jesus. He could've given us the “evil eye,” we deserved it, but He didn't. He gave us mercy and forgiveness.

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word