I said it as a kid. Something wouldn’t go my way, like a game of Chinese checkers or of hide and seek, and I’d say, “That’s not fair.” It was almost a reflex action: lose a game; yell, “No fair!” Well. apparently the people of Israel had the same tendency. “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is unfair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?” (Ezekiel 18:25). The issue at hand was whether a wicked person should be able to turn from the ways of evil and receive God’s forgiveness. Shouldn’t such a person be punished for their transgressions? The same questions fill our lives as well. We find the world working a certain way; we see certain people getting ahead or doing well; we notice those whom we believe to be undeserving who are actually better off in one way or another than we are. How can God let this sort of thing happen? How can this possible be fair?
God’s answer is good news for all who have ears to hear. Those who renounce their wickedness, says the Lord, will find life. In other words, God’s grace abounds and though it may not seem fair to us, there’s no denying the mercy and love of God. God takes no pleasure in death; God seeks abundant life for all people. Is God fair? No, not in purely human terms. But let’s give thanks for if God were “fair” we’d certainly be without hope.
Prayer: Thanks be to you, O God, for your mercy and grace. Without them we surely would fall into the snares of our own wrongdoing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
NOTE: Beginning tomorrow, I will be including blog posts each Saturday written by "guest bloggers" who will offer their insights on the readings for that particular day. I deeply appreciate the willingness of these folks to share their time and talents with us. Be sure to stop by on upcoming Saturdays to see what they have to say.
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