Grace isn’t fair — it’s better
Nancy Kennedy
The other day I was in line at the grocery store with two women behind me having a conversation.
One was telling the other about a family friend who gave one of her children a birthday gift.
The other one asked, “Is that a problem?”
“No — yes,” the first woman said. “She didn’t give gifts to my other children on their birthdays.”
As I put my groceries on the checkout conveyor belt, the women debated the fairness/unfairness of the gift situation. It was a very angsty conversation, and unfortunately I didn’t have enough groceries in my cart to hear the rest of it.
But it made me think. Is it fair to give one person a gift and not another?
If I’m the kid who got the gift, then it’s fair. But if I’m the ungifted kids? Not fair.
And what’s fair to the gift giver? Give to all or give to none?
Maybe nobody should be allowed to give a gift to anyone. Period. That would be fair, right?
Nobody would have a reason to complain and everyone would be happy.
In 2024, Taylor Swift gave $197 million in bonuses to her touring crew, including $100,000 to each of her truck drivers. At the end of her “Eras Tour” she said that it was “an honor and a delight” to give them this bonus.
And yet, she received backlash on social media. Some said it wasn’t enough, that she could well afford to give them more. Some called it just a tax write off or a publicity stunt. Some trucking companies expressed concern that the bonuses could set an unrealistic standard and that now truck drivers will expect large bonuses.
What is fair, and who gets to decide?
Now let’s bring God into the conversation. Is God fair? Many would say no. Many DO say no.
One of my favorite stories Jesus told was about fairness.
A man who owned a vineyard went out early and hired workers for a set wage, which they agreed to.
Later in the day, the man hired more workers – at the same pay. As the day wore on, he kept hiring more workers, all at the same pay.
Finally, he hired the last few shortly before quitting time.
When it came time to be paid, those who were hired last were paid first – a full day’s pay.
Every man, regardless of how many hours he worked, received the same amount.
That angered the men hired first.
“No fair!” one guy said. “Why should those guys get the same thing we get?”
The vineyard owner replied, “I haven’t been unfair to you. I gave every one of you exactly what we agreed on. As for the others, it’s my money, and I felt like being generous. Don’t I have that right? Or are you envious because I’m generous?” (Matthew 20:1-16)
I love that story because it gets to the heart of how we view God and his grace toward others, because grace by its nature isn’t fair.
God’s invitation of grace is to ALL — the wealthy and the poor, the serial killers and the Sunday school teachers.
The law abiders get no more than the law breakers.
It’s not “fair,” but it is equal.
God’s grace is extravagant, given to those who don’t deserve it and cannot earn it or pay for it themselves.
The only requirement is to admit your need for it.
Which means that heaven will be filled with last-minute hires, undeserving recipients and people who make us mutter, “No fair.”
And I, for one, am grateful to be among them.Contact Nancy Kennedy at 352-564-2927 (leave a message) or email at nkennedy@chronicleonline.com.
