When Life Isn't Fair

Scripture Reading: Matthew 20:1-16

Focus Verse: Luke 23:42  Then the thief said to Jesus, "Lord remember me when You come into Your Kingdom."

Have you ever felt at times that life isn't fair?  I sure have.  Maybe you weren't treated fairly as a child when compared to brothers or sisters.  Or perhaps a situation at your job was not handled fairly for you.  I'm sure that Joseph in the Bible didn't think it was fair when he was wrongly accused of attacking Potiphar's wife.  He then spent the next two years in prison for it.  He must have thought that God had forgotten him.  But the Bible says "God was with Joseph".

We see in our passage that laborers were paid the same wage even though they work different amounts of time.  That doesn't sound fair.  We also read in the Bible that the thief that died on the cross next to Jesus was granted eternal life because he believed in the last hour of his life.  That's not fair, some people have served God many years and both get the same eternal life.  Let's look at it this way.  We all deserve Hell after the first sin we commit.  That is fairness in God's sight.  What is not fair is that Jesus died on a cross having done nothing wrong.  He did that in our place.  We should be so thankful that this is not fair.  We should be so glad as believers in Christ that we are not getting what we deserve: death.  Hell is fair.  You can think about what Jesus did for you on the cross, and be thankful that life isn't fair.

Bobby Johnson 
Interlocking Ministries