God isn’t fair
You and I crave fairness. We want what we feel we’ve earned. “It’s only fair.” How many times have we heard or said that?
Fairness was a big deal for me in growing up with two siblings. If one of my brothers received a gift, I immediately thought, “Where’s mine?” I just spent time yesterday with my 22-month-old nephew, and one of the prevalent words he screamed the entire afternoon was “Mine!” This idea of selfishness and desire seems ingrained in our hearts.
Because fairness is important to us, we tend approach our interactions with God along the same lines. We see those we know that have what look like blessed lives, with circumstances going their way: good job, no relatives have died “before their time,” healthy kids, married, etc. And invariably we ask God, “Where’s mine? How come I don’t have that?”
But is this how God works?
When we search the Bible for answers, we find that God’s idea of fairness is radically different than ours. Fairness takes center stage in a parable Jesus told His disciples about a master and his vineyard (Matthew 20:1-13). God is portrayed as the master, and he travels to the marketplace to find workers for his vineyard. He hires some workers at dawn, and agrees to pay them one day’s wages (a denarius). But the master returns to the marketplace several times throughout the day to hire more workers, even some very late in the day. No wages are discussed then; he just says he will pay them “whatever is right.”
The parable takes a turn when it’s time to pay the workers. The master first pays those who showed up last, and he pays them one full day’s wages! What an unexpected blessing for these folks! They are able to support their families and make ends meet because of the master’s abundance. But those who worked since dawn see this and want more, yet they are also given one day’s wages. And they are pissed. They let the boss have it in verse 12: “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” In other words: “That’s not fair!”
But the graciousness of God is shown in the master’s response. He starts with “friend,” a sign of respect. Then he continues, “I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” [italics mine]
That’s the killer question, and the heart of this story. Do you begrudge God’s generosity with others? I know I do. God has given me so much, and I want more. I want everything. I demand fairness.
But it is to our eternal benefit that God is not fair with us. He is better than fair. Take a moment to consider what you would honestly receive if God kept an exact tally of all you did in your life that was either good or bad, helpful or harmful to others and yourself, and then gave you whatever you honestly deserved based on that. I’m certain we would all be in dire straits. I know I would.
If this parable shows us something about the character of God, it reminds us that He does much better for us than fairness. Remember, verse 1 says this parable is about the kingdom of heaven.
We don’t need fairness from God, we need mercy and grace.
Regardless of when the laborers showed up to his vineyard to work, the master did not pay them what they earned; he paid them according to their need. He valued the workers much more than their work. We may rightly infer that God is not a God that gives us what we earn, but what we need. He is a master that pursues the workers throughout the day, even into the dusk of the eleventh hour. It is a reality where the benevolence of God is the standard. This is His character.
Truth is, God isn’t fair. God turns our ideas about fairness upside down, inside out. And it’s honestly better for us that he isn’t fair. By His grace, we receive better than what we deserve.
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jim
i think you make an excellent pt. i would also ask the harder question. why do we want “fairness”?
i can speak to the same thing about having multiple siblings. i was always complaining about things not being “fair”. but as i grow more mature (in some ways i am still looking for “fairness”), the more i realize that fairness is often a cover up for selfishness. you see, the reason i wanted my parents to give me what my siblings got (if it was something good, not if it was bad) is because “I”. i was being selfish.
i think too often, we all do this. we expect God to give us something because we “want” it. but we often ask out of wrong motives. as James says, “we should not expect anything” if we ask like this.
shalom
peter
Interestingly though, does God desire fairness for those suffering? At what point does “fairness” become justice? At what point does fairness become equality?
Perhaps the “fairness” of God is of justice and selflessness, and the fairness of our hearts is much more self-centred and is actually just an expression of what’s wrong with us. However, when I have a heart for fairness for others who are suffering from unfairness (I’m sure that’s not a word but it fits…) then amn’t I closer to where I should be, to reflect the glory of God?
I think there is a definite difference between “fair” and “just.” We have to remember that God is both just and merciful, but to be fair implies a lack of need for mercy (in my mind at least). Happily, scripture is very clear about the mercy given to those who are victims (the beatitudes for example).
Duncanmcf, you’ve asked some excellent questions, and I’m pleased that you commented. While the parable I discussed does not cover much of suffering, Jesus does have plenty to say to those suffering, and that will be a topic I peruse in the near future.
pb&j, you’re right on with our propensity for fairness masking for selfishness. It’s all too easy. shalom.
Interesting. I jumped over from Mystery’s latest post. The first thing that hit me, granted I am not schooled as you appear to be in the Biblical passages, is…why aren’t we fair to ourselves? God lies within us and is apparently always ready to give us a hand if we could simply stretch our own to meet him. I understand that’s a simple thought, and maybe not as articulated as I would hope, but the point I’m trying to make is we must be fair with ourselves. In your example, I could have the urge to want more, but if I recognized the “generosity” extolled and considered my getting more as the ability to join in that generosity by feeling warmed by another worker getting a “bonus”, then I would have been enriched.
I’m certainly not about to espouse the following as a worldview supported by the Bible or any other Holy Books, but I remember a play (a very very good play) wherein the opposite view is displayed. God gives man and Angel-kind the world to take care of, then he sort of goes on holiday and everything goes to crap - at least, that is what the angels think - and when a man, a prophet, is brought to Heaven to convince God to return, he says, “screw that, God left us. We need to forget about Him, and if He returns, you sue him for everything.” Or something to that effect. He also says something along the lines of “We should demand more, not less.” And then he pretty much says Man will go on how he will with or without God, so everyone, go about your business.
Again, I’m not saying we need a big “SCREW YOU!” to God. Obviously that’s pretty much ludicrous.
But it’s an interesting thing to think about, our relationship with God in regards to what He will provide. I would never (hopefully) say to my parents “GIVE ME MORE STUFF!” but I would say, “You need to stop ignoring me if you want to have a relationship with me.”
Of course…….God is nothing like my parents…..or he’s very much like them, which calls into question my relationship with them.
Dang, it is all so dizzying.
Surfaceearth—an incredible question! Why aren’t we fair to ourselves? There are no doubt a handful of possibilities. We’re looking out for ourselves first and foremost, wondering what’s in it for us. We think having more equals being better off. The history of humanity, both Biblical and otherwise, indicates this supreme lack of satisfaction. Secondly, there’s probably a little bit of us being unduly hard on ourselves because the grace of God is so bizarre to our merit-based living. Some people may think, “Well, God may forgive me, but I’ll never forgive myself.” Should our standards for forgiveness be higher than God’s? Definitely not. The Bible shows through and through that God desires to save our souls, and cleanse us completely from sin. But too many people, and I include myself in this, want the blessings without the relationship. To quote Johnny Cash from ‘The Wanderer’: “They say they want the kingdom, but they don’t want God in it.” True enough, that describes my heart a whole lot, and I suspect others as well.
Kyle-I love that you’re pumped about this stuff, it reminds me anew that what the Bible contains, and its overarching theme, is one of great joy for humanity. The beauty of this parable is that it displays one of the most central truths of the Bible, shown again and again: God has ALREADY moved toward us in relationship, in seeking to include us in His plans for this earth and the people on it, and in bestowing us with so much. He continually makes the first move toward us. Does this mean there’s no hardship? Absolutely not, we still live on this world and all its struggles. Hardship comes with it. God never promises to erase hardship, but he does promise to be with us throughout it. No matter what, God has always moved first toward us. That play you described sounds interesting, and probably is a helpful way to give thanks to God that He is not like that whatsoever.
“God has ALREADY moved toward us in relationship” - reminds me a pamphlet I once got on the street. It depicted a hand outstretched through space and time, extending toward Earth.
“That play you described sounds interesting, and probably is a helpful way to give thanks to God that He is not like that whatsoever.” - it’s also nice in that I think we all have wanted, at times, to seriously sue God. Ha ha!
Although I don’t pretend to know all there is to know about fairness, I agree whole heartedly with “Brad” we have a tendency where God is concerned to confuse fairness and justice. If I can look at the bigger picture for even a moment I would realize that God doesn’t have to be fair…He is God after all and He knows us all too well because He created us. I think we only want Him to be fair where blessings are concerned… give me all the good stuff God!
But He is Just and only gives me what I need and what I can handle and what is right for me. If that includes suffering and hardships then so be it. (I say that very carefully) He does it out of a love that I can’t begin to understand but I will readily accept.
You gave me more to think about with your response, the infinite possibilities or “answers” to the question. Hmm, why would we be a harder taskmasker to ourselves than God? Our vision is clouded, perhaps?