Fairness.
A sense of
fairness is truly wanting things to be equal for all, right? For true fairness
to exist people would have to be the same in all ways, an assembly line of
flesh robots. The sheer fact that we are all instantaneously created with
differences- if not outside (as in the case of twins or other identical
multiple births), then inside we are different. From our first formed thought
the differences begin no matter what the outside stimulus may be. Once there
are noted differences then fairness becomes subjective according to those
differences.
Before
anyone gets their hackles up, yes, I agree right here and right now that there
are certain actions of fairness that can be given to all based on a majority
likeness.
We are all
human and therefore have rights above those of the creatures that are not
human- it doesn't matter what sort of human you are, you have those rights.
Some might beg to differ even on this point though because of the evil that
might exist in a human being, they might want the rights of that human
rescinded and have him or her treated something less than human, the vilest of
creatures, the lowest of insects. Of course now the lover of that lowest of
insects and vilest of creatures will be up in arms saying they have rights too.
It's just the way of things. There are many people who think some other people
especially those who harm the innocents- children and animals- are nothing more
than the scum of the scum of the earth. Yet, that scum person has basic human
rights, right? It's all so subjective.
Fairness.
We want
fairness for all, but in things too numerous to number there is no fairness. In
the following parable of Jesus' He tells of treating the last laborer who
labored for only a very short time, the same as the laborer who was there for a
full day's work. The laborer that worked hard for hours and hours thought he
should be given more money for his hard work than the man who worked only a
single hour. It would seem fair, right? He wanted to be paid by the hour not
the day, yet the agreement with the man who hired him was to be paid a penny
for the entire day. An agreement was struck and the one who hired did not break
that agreement with his actions, yet the one who worked several hours felt
cheated. Read the parable--
Mat
20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder,
which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat
20:2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent
them into his vineyard.
Mat
20:3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle
in the marketplace,
Mat
20:4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is
right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat
20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did
likewise.
Mat
20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing
idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat
20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them,
Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye
receive.
Mat
20:8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his
steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last
unto the first.
Mat
20:9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they
received every man a penny.
Mat
20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have
received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat
20:11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of
the house,
Mat
20:12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made
them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat
20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong:
didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat
20:14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last,
even as unto thee.
Mat
20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine
eye evil, because I am good?
Mat
20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called,
but few chosen.
Did the
goodman of the house speak justly when He said 'Is it not lawful for me to do
what I will with mine own?'
Receiving
the promised payment was a just and fair transaction. Had no others been hired
that day the laborers who worked all day would have had no squabble with their
agreed upon wages. There was an agreement and the terms of that agreement did
not change at all.
The
agreement with all those hired after those first laborers was for whatever the
goodman of the house desired to give them.
He told each of the following groups- 3rd, 6th, 9th and 11th hour groups
whatsoever was right that's what he'd give them. Surely those four groups, especially those
hired in that last hour did not imagine they'd be paid the same as those who
worked all day. The goodman had said he'd give them what was right and to the
goodman it was right to give them a full day's wage.
Why do you
suppose that is? Is it because the goodman realized that those men hired after
the first would have been willing to do the work of the first had they the
opportunity to be hired then? Was it because they agreed to work without
actually knowing what their wage would be and were willing to accept very
little for even just an hour's labor? The goodman did realize these things,
just as God realizes the hearts of ALL who come to Him. There is not a single
person who belongs to God that their heart isn't revealed to Him fully. A
Christ follower of fifty years with a pure heart dedicated to God will receive
NO greater reward than the very last person who gives their life to God in the
last moment possible before all probation is closed. The Christ follower of
fifty years does not deserve a greater reward, the reward of the Kingdom of
Heaven is enough for the hardest, longest laborer for Christ.
The
Kingdom of Heaven is so amazing, it is beyond comprehension, the gift of the
kingdom is complete and utter fairness without any contention for first and
last, greatest and least.
Who
remembers this…
Mat
20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons,
worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
Mat
20:21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant
that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the
left, in thy kingdom.
Mat
20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able
to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism
that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat
20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand,
and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it
is prepared of my Father.
Mat
20:24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against
the two brethren.
Mat
20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes
of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise
authority upon them.
Mat
20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among
you, let him be your minister;
Mat
20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your
servant:
Mat
20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Our sinful
warped hearts and minds have accepted the idea of greater and lesser being
things that are not of God. Who is the greatest Christ follower? The one who
seemingly has little contention with following a Christian prescribed life? The
one who isn't outwardly committing offenses against God? We have NO way to
judge the heart NONE. Jesus said this
too--
Luk
18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves
that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk
18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and
the other a publican.
Luk
18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee,
that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
this publican.
Luk
18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess.
Luk
18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as
his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me
a sinner.
Luk
18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than
the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted.
To all
outward appearances the Pharisee was God's chosen, God's follower, God's prime
example of how to live for Him… yet inside the Pharisee was a worse sinner than
the man who lived his life committing acts that God knowingly said were not of
Him. The sinner recognized His sin, the Pharisee did not.
WE DO NOT
KNOW THE HEARTS, not even our own.
We can
only pray at the feet of our Savior, begging Him to forgive us all our known
and unknown sins. We can only beg Him to keep us from ALL evil, including the
evil of self-righteousness. To open our eyes to our sins so we are not caught
up in Satan's evil, deceptive traps. We can only pray that we in our very low
estate can belong to HIM, by His mercy and grace- through no merit of our own.
First or
last, greatest or least-- please let us belong to You and be with You in the
Kingdom of Heaven. Please.
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