“Malice that cannot speak its name, cold-blooded but secret hostility, hidden rancor and spite – all cluster at the center of envy. Envy clouds thought, clobbers generosity, precludes any hope of serenity and ends in shriveling the heart. Of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all.” Notes on the cover of Joseph Epstein, Envy (Oxford, 2003).
Psalm 73 is spiritual medicine for hearts sick with envy. Verse 25 is a searching diagnostic of our hearts toward God: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”
But the psalm is more than diagnosis; it is also remedy. Here is how it holds together:
A1 The problem: “I was envious of the arrogant” (1-3)
>B1 They have it so good (4-12)
>>C1 Poor me! (13-15)
>>>D “Then I discerned . . .” (16-17)
>>C2 Stupid me! (18-22)
>B2 I have it so good (23-26)
A2 The privilege: “It is good to be near God” (27-28)
Psalm 73 is an awakening word for real people living real lives in hard (but good) times. It invites us on a journey from envy (verse 3) to desire (verse 25).
