How often do we find ourselves thinking, “that’s not fair!”? This is a favorite outcry of children the world over, and we reply by saying something like, “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit!” We expect our children to abide by this rule, and yet we are the first to break it - usually over lunch with a sympathetic friend. When adults reference the word “fair”, they generally feel that some injustice has been committed against them, not that they CAUSED the injustice. God is not “fair” with us. He gives us mercy in lieu of punishment. He also shows us in different parables that he has a distinctly unique perspective on “fairness.” In Matthew 20:1-16, workers in a vineyard were hired at different points throughout the day. They were all promised a daily rate. Of course the ones that worked all day were angry that they did not get more pay. It wasn’t fair - right? Wrong. They agreed on a daily rate; which they received. In the parable of the talents, God was not “fair” again. He didn’t give his servants equal amounts. Two of the three servants doubled what they had, but the third servant didn’t do anything with it. He kept the one talent given to him (a talent was a significant amount of money) to return to the master, but that wasn’t good enough. The master actually calls him wicked AND lazy! Wicked? In other words, “possessing a serious fault that hinders us in our ability to bear fruit.” The fact that he didn’t multiply what he had is the only qualifying event of this parable. That indicates that faith is tied to multiplication. The other servants are rewarded: the master calls them good and faithful servants.

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