25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’
The cry for justice comes all too often. Right in the middle of this parable, when obvious justice is happening, the cry for justice comes. All of us with kids have heard the words, “That’s not fair.” People want equality, not justice. They want the surface to look equal. Even when they know that equality would not be justice, they still want equality. But life isn’t set up for equality. We are all unique with a unique set of talents and abilities. We are all responsible for what we do with these. Those with greater natural intelligence must use it wisely. Those with greater people skills are likewise responsible to use them to the glory of God. Those blessed with physical strengths must likewise glorify God with them. And because we are all different, the outcomes of our various endeavors will produce different harvests with varying values. Not everyone will have a degree in medicine or a hand-crafted set of furniture. Not everyone will have calluses and weather-beaten skin. Life is not fair. Justice does not happen here on this earth. In this parable the individual’s laziness or his lack of initiative ends up robbing him of his potential gain. The one looses out and the other reaps an unexpected benefit. Life isn’t equal for everyone. If we in the West demanded equality with the world, we would have to give up our large homes, since most in the world live in homes under 1000 square feet. The living space per person in the US has tripled since the 1950’s, but families have gotten smaller. We would have to give up our incomes since the average is only about $7000 a year. But when you consider that the top 1% has as much income as the bottom 57%, you can see the inequality. Life isn’t fair. And even when fair happens, sometimes we still want to cry foul. But remember, justice is coming. This life is but a passing vapor. Heaven lasts an eternity.