When one becomes a Christian, it is not an unusual thing that, at any given moment, we might experience envy for something that we have given up, that our non-Christian friends have not.

Perhaps we see them enjoying some activity on a Wednesday night; or, perhaps we, too, would like to “take the edge off” after a long week of work. But (hopefully) we quickly jolt back to reality and remember that our envy is unfounded and unwise.

As a minister, I have experienced similar envy – not just of the world, but even of my own brothers and sisters in Christ. For example, I wouldn’t mind having the “weekend” off, too. I would like the opportunity to put in more effort and time to get overtime pay, or work so that I can earn a promotion, like some of my friends, and as I did before I began ministry. Why wouldn’t I? I’m human.

But some years back I was reading the Bible and something occurred to me that has helped me in ministry, and I think is also helpful for all Christians to remember when they experience some “worldly envy.”

Under the rule of Moses and Joshua, Israel’s tribes were allotted the portions of the land God promised to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). Moses announced the fulfillment of this in Deuteronomy, and Joshua administers the survey by which the property lines would be drawn for each tribe.

But not all tribes received allotments of land. One tribe received no land inheritance at all: Levi (Deut. 18:2). It was from this tribe that the priesthood was called upon to serve God. Moses wrote:

At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day. Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance, just as the Lord your God spoke to him (Deut. 10:8-9, NASB).

The tribe of Levi was to take on the role of mediator – the “priesthood.” They were to bear the ark of the covenant when the tabernacle was moved about. They were to “stand before the Lord,” i.e., to serve Him and bless in His name continually. They were to do so in perpetuity, until Jesus fulfilled all those roles in himself.

This inheritance was far better than the other tribes’ inheritance of sod and stone. But I’ve often wondered if any of the Levites ever felt the same human emotions we might feel when our friends of the world are enjoying something we have given up. I wonder if they ever felt left out or let down because they had no land to pass down or redeem for their children.

This privilege of serving as God’s ministers of the tabernacle served a significant role in the divine economy: as mediators, the priesthood interceded and petitioned for perpetual mercy on behalf of themselves and others. In short, they kept the wrath of God at bay until Jesus (Messiah) came.

So what does that have to do with Christians today? First, as a minister, my inherited role is not like that even of my Christian brothers and sisters. I am not “off the clock” on Sunday as many are; rather, that is my most significant day of the work week (serving priests didn’t get to Sabbath as everyone else, either). I usually take Monday or Tuesday off to be with my family (it still  feels unusual to me to take these days off, even though I have worked 10 times as long in ministry as I did in secular work). But I try always to appreciate the role I have accepted. It is its own reward. The inheritance of heaven is easily worth far more than a Sunday off, or a promotion.

But more broadly, as Christians, none of us possess the same inheritance as our brothers and sisters of the world. What is there to envy? Long weekends on the lake? Sleeping in on Sundays? (I have to admit, there are some Sundays I wouldn’t mind sleeping-in!) Throw back a few adult beverages heading into the weekend, or to take the edge off during the week?

In the end, are those kinds of things really that enviable? Only momentarily.

But to paint it with a wider brush stroke, at the end of the day, the true “inheritance” of a worldly life is to live as if nothing ultimately matters. The ways in which that attitude is manifested in any individual life varies greatly. The attitude is: “as long as I’m not hurting anyone, it should be fine!”
The problem (well, there are many…) is this is an incomparably dry well when it comes to slaking the thirst of existential questions that, irrespective of the amount of alcohol or entertainment we might consume, never really go away. What is my purpose for existing? And, What happens when I die?

If an inheritance is really only as good as its value, what good does inheriting this old world give me in the end?

Nothing!

Or, paraphrasing Jesus: what does a man profit if he gains (perhaps we could insert, inherits) the whole world, but loses his soul? Or, what “thing” of the world – the most valuable earthly thing we can imagine possessing – can be traded in for heaven?

Christians, remember: you do not possess a portion or inheritance with the world.

The Lord is your inheritance.

You are the priesthood of the Great High Priest.

It has been given to you to mediate on behalf of this world, to stand before the Lord, to serve and bless in His name.

by Rick Kelley