Jealous Jaws

     There’s an old fable about a contented dog that paused at the crest of a bridge to adjust a bone in his mouth. He breathed in with a deep sense of satisfaction. Life was good in that moment, but something caught its attention just before he continued. Peering over the edge he saw in the water another dog with a bone looking very happy. In that instant a thought occurred to him: the other dog's bone was probably better. If he could

seize it he would have two bones and twice the joy. The bone he was salivating over just a minute ago became as uninteresting as last year’s pop songs.
    Our friend, the dog, was not particularly thoughtful. The idea that the dog in the water might like to keep his bone never entered his mind. The same is true of all thoroughly selfish people. So, he ran around on the bridge whining with bone in mouth and obsession in mind. He didn’t want to leave his lesser possession on the bridge for fear another dog might slurp it up. Finally, he convinced himself that he could attack the water dog and deprive him of his bone without first going to bury his own. By now he had worked himself up into a slobbering mess with a wild look in his eyes. Without another thought he hurled himself over the rail and hit the water with fangs barred...boneless.
     The water was colder than he anticipated and confusion took over. Where was the water dog? Why had he not been able to grasp both bones with his jealous jaws? He thrashed about thinking the dog had taken a plunge at the last second, but no matter how much he swam around he could not find his quarry. Disappointment turned to horror as the reality of his situation became clear. Horror turned to embarrassment, followed by regret and shame. Why had he been so stupid? How did he let his jealousy get the better of him? He was undone by canine covetousness.
     A simple search reveals dozens of Bible verses on jealousy and envy. Take James 3:16 for example: “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” As with most sins, the one who suffers most  is us. We the jealous become we the boneless in a soaking splash of irony.
     A thought occurred to me the other day as I considered how much time people are spending at home these days. With time on our hands we are more able to obsess over a neighbor’s good fortune to have a lawn tractor. There is finally time to switch out the winter clothes and think about how much happier we’d be dressed like so and so. Some of us know all the gossip about celebrities and pine for a fraction of their glamour. Our jealous jaws snap at this and that, always a little poorer and hungrier.

Godliness with contentment is great gain.   — 1Timothy 6:6