But That's Not Fair!

      By Fern Horst

"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. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 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? 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.
      "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. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 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.
      "But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?" (Matthew 20:1-15)

"But that's not fair!" is a cry I've often heard from one of my nieces or nephews when their parent or grandparent or even Aunt Fern makes a judgment call that they don't like. It's also a cry from my own heart at times, when God makes a judgment call that I don't like!

In the parable Jesus told of the laborers, those who worked all day made a similar protest when they were handed the same payment as those who had only worked one hour. I really can't say I blame them. From a human standpoint it doesn't appear to be fair. And yet each laborer had agreed to the payment when they were hired. It was only when they compared their payment to another's that they thought theirs was unfair.

I've always had a longing in my heart to be a mother, from a little girl playing with dolls to this very day when my biological clock has almost stopped ticking. But so far God has had other plans for me, and on most days I've accepted that. Lately that acceptance has been challenged as I watch the parade of mothers in and out of the nursery at church each Sunday morning. Our small church has recently been blessed with an abundance of new babies which is truly a joy, unless I start comparing my life to their mothers' and allow the cry of "unfair!" to scream in my heart.

I know that I am not alone in this struggle. We humans make comparisons all the time: singles to those who are married, married people to singles, those with physical ailments to those who are healthy, those who struggle financially with those who don't. Even Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, had a problem with comparing his life to someone else's when Jesus told him what kind of death he would die. It was to be a horrible one - crucifixion upside down - so I can hardly blame him when, seeing John there with them asked Jesus, "And what about him?"

Jesus' answer to Peter has been a challenge to me many times over: "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

And so He says to me, "If I want others to be mothers and not you, what is that to you? You must follow me." When I became a Christian I agreed to the terms: following Jesus in exchange for eternal life. He didn't promise me motherhood or marriage, nor did He promise me wealth or fame or good health. He promised me much more lasting things. I have no doubt He will make good on those promises as I am faithful to mine: following Jesus each step of the way.

© 2007 Fern Horst

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