“That’s not fair!”

I hear that a lot from the students I teach. For example, if they perceive that I’m giving an advantage to certain students, such as an extra day to work on the assignment, I will hear them say it. But my logic is that since the reason why they were given an extra day is because their absence was legitimate, a basketball tournament for example, they should have an extra day to work on the assignment. But the rest think that’s unfair. What they are really wanting is an extra day for themselves. They don’t want me to take away the extra day I have given to the athletes. They just want me to give the rest an extra day as well.

This is illogical. They would’ve never complained if the athletes were not away and given an extra day. It doesn’t effect THEIR schedule at all. But seeing that someone else got an extra day, now they feel it’s unfair. It’s like you were perfectly happy that you got a free drink coupon from Starbucks. But as soon as you saw another person get TWO free drink coupons from Starbucks, you feel it’s unfair! It hasn’t changed the fact that you got a free drink. But you still feel a wrong has been done to you. Why?

Sinful nature.

Jesus points out this exact fact in Matthew 20. He talks of vineyard workers who were hired for $100 a day. But some were hired only one hour before the end of the day and thus only worked one hour. The ones who worked 8 hours got paid $100, and they were thankful. But when they saw that those who only worked 1 hour also got paid $100, they were crying, “Unfair!”

And Jesus says to them, “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 22:15)

God makes some more gifted and talented than others. They seem to have all the advantages. The looks, the smarts, the connections, the fame, the fortune…. Are we secretly envious of them and think God is really unfair? Why is our peace disturbed just because some seem to have it better than us? After all, isn’t what we deserved death and hell?

If we have a roof over our house and food in our refrigerator, we should be content and thankful. We didn’t even deserve this!

PH