God is Unfair
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About nine in the morning, he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’
So, they went He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon, he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.
When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” — Matthew 20:1-16
--
Have you ever felt like you deserved something? Like you have put in your time, worked hard enough, proven yourself, and that the reward was valid and deserved and expected? Of course you have.
I expect this from my employer. I expect this from working out consistently. I expect this investing in my family relationships. I expect this from effort put into school. I expect it from someone liking this blog.
I don’t know if this is nature or nurture. Are we conditioned to expect a favourable return for our efforts because we live a globalized capitalist society? Or is there something innate obvious about what seens to be a balanced just system at work even in the laws of nature? For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. Either way, I expect something equal to my effort, time, sacrifice for virtually every part of life. Even if I say I am giving of myself altruistically, I hope that the benefit of good feelings and reward of self-image will be validated. Don’t you?
Have you ever felt this way with God, though. Have you ever felt like your sacrifices, your service, your devotion, your effort (even if you fail), should warrant some spiritual and tangible reward?
If I’m the only one, you can stop reading.
--
I have ashamedly spoke words of anger at God. I have brought my pile sacrifices, my life long devotion to him, and been so angry that I have not received what I believe should be the right rewards.
“This?! This is what you do for those who follow you unfailing?”
“This is how you reward those who leave behind everything to be obedient?”
“Is this what I get for never straying, never doubting, and never quitting? More pain? More challenge? More poverty?”
It’s like a badly written psalm.
I have looked for God to uphold his word. To reap what I have sown. To prosper as my soul prospers. I have doubted anything he said was true. I have doubted he existed.
--
There’s a longer story here, but the short version is God is gracious.
If he is sovereign and He is good – if those two things are true – then he is good enough and powerful enough to ensure I DON’T get what I deserve (which is death). He is good enough and powerful enough to reward me with what I can handle. And He is good enough and wise enough to let my difficulties shape me into a man more like Him.
--
The parable above, seems illogical and unfair – unjust even. I would be surprised if anyone have ever heard a sermon preached about it. The master does not deny the workers what was promised.
They get what is promised in God’s time. But comparison and jealousy appear to them as UNFAIR instead of GRACIOUS. They believe what they gave the master is worth more once they see someone who gave less get more.
--
God is unfair.
He is gracious because He is unfair.
I am saved because He is unfair.
I am forgiven for my defiance because He is unfair.
And if He never did another thing for me, if I suffered persecution, sickness, rejection, and pain for the rest of my days, He would still be unfair to let me know Him and come into His glory.
I am so thankful that He is unfair.