It Just Isn’t Fair!

How many times have you just spoken or thought those words?
It just isn’t fair.

If you are anything like me then it could be too many times to count.

In the world we can see many things which we think aren’t right or fair, but when we come to Father, then can we expect things to be fair?

We can expect Father to be righteous and just, but can we expect Father to be fair…. from our point of view…???

I have recently heard a teaching on Matthew 20 1-16
It’s the parable where a landowner goes out and agrees with workers to pay a denarius for a days work. He then goes out later in the day and hires more workers and agrees to pay them whatever is right.
By the end of the day the land owner has several groups of people who have been working for different amounts of time who need to be paid.

Have a read of Matthew 20 1-16 to get the full picture.

When the workers are to be paid, the landowner starts with the last to be hired, and then pays them a denarius.
He does this with all the workers right up to the first to be hired.

When the first to be hired is given their denarius, they then start to grumble.
You have made us the same as those who have just been hired, even though we have borne the the burden of work and the heat of the day.

From our human view point we can all see this as unfair.
Why should one who has only worked an hour receive the same as one who has worked all day long?

The landowner replies in verse 13-15
¹³ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

The parable is started with the words, “For the kingdom of heaven is like..”

I used to think that this was a reference to those who make a confession of faith late in life.

I have no problem with the idea that those who come to Christ later in life are still able to enjoy the same salvation as me, who’s been around a little while.
But listening to the speaker, he was saying that the kingdom of heaven, might just not be fair (from our point of view).

The clue to this is in verse 1. The kingdom of heaven is like….

So does this mean that the Kingdom of heaven might not be quite as fair as I thought it was?

Some might be blessed more than others…???

Some might have troubles while others will have blessings…???

That is very much so starting to sound like what life is actually like.

So, was Father telling us all in advance that we will not all have the same lot in life?

Was Father telling us that, we can expect life as a Christian to be unfair, from our point of view?

This should not be such a revelation as it is only stating how life actually is.

The question really should then be, how will we deal with this apparent unfairness?

Will we complain and grumble like the first workers did?

Do we even have any grounds to grumble at God?

God is God and anyone who might want to grumble to God is going to be on the loosing side of the discussion.

But do we even have anything to complain about in the first place?

What is our focus on?

What others are receiving or what is available is us?

As I think about this, the one phrase that keeps coming back to me is, “My grace is sufficient for you.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Are we able to focus on the grace that we are receiving or are we focusing on what others appear to have?

Very early on in the ten commandments we are told not to covert anything, so isn’t this just saying the same thing?

Focus on what you have, instead of what others have.

It appears that it is such an important idea, that Jesus gave us a parable to teach us this very lesson.

So, if we are going through hard times, will we be able to be pleased for someone who is being blessed by Father, even though we may be struggling, because His grace is sufficient for us.
Or will we be focusing on what someone else is receiving, only to miss the blessings that is available to us, if we could only see and receive it?

Is this part of what it means to have a God’s Kingdom mindset?

Focus on where you are instead of where others are?
Likewise, focus on what you have rather than what others have, even if it appears as if it is unfair, at times.

I do believe that Father’s final word to us would be, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
Will we be able to see and step into the grace He has for us?

Father,
Thank you that Your grace is sufficient for me.
Help me to see this more and more so that I can step into all that you have for me.
Help me not to focus on what other are receiving but to focus on what You have for me, so that I can keep in step with You.
Amen.