A Work of Envy

After the Jewish leaders illegally arrested Jesus and illegally tried him, the leading priests, elders, and the teachers of the law bound Jesus. They took him to Pilate the Roman governor. They accused Jesus of so many things that Pilate could smell a skunk. He knew something was messed up. He just couldn’t quite put his finger on it. When called upon to pick a charge against Jesus, they went with “he calls himself the King of the Jews.” Pilate tried to get Jesus to respond to the charges, but he merely said, “you said it” and would not defend himself. ---It was plain to Pilate that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy. In a sense, it was envy that put Jesus on the cross. Of course, we know that it was his destiny to carry out the work of the cross. However, it does illustrate the power of a “little” sin like envy. ---Pilate made a feeble attempt to get the people to vote on releasing a convicted murderer or Jesus. The leading priests and elders hearts were so hardened that they stirred the crowd in a frenzy against Jesus. For man’s part, the work of the cross was a work of envy. --Mark 15:1-13