Tuesday, April 1

It’s Never Been Fair

Michael Andres

Reading

He replied to the one speaking for the rest, “Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?”

Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.
Matthew 20:13-16 (The Message)

Reflection

There are a lot of things that remind me I’m getting older. The other morning I woke up and the squishy spot between two of my knuckles was sore. All I did was sleep. Another time I found myself being entirely too audible as I drank my first sip of coffee, and looked up to see Max and Ruby’s side-eye snap forward. My dad used to make that noise.

Oh, and then there’s today: April Fool’s.

It’s not my favorite. Like, at all.

Not because I hate fun—I love a good bit (just ask Kelli). I’ve spent far too much time and money pulling off elaborate pranks, and I’ve laughed just as hard when my friends got me back. But somewhere along the way, the play turned too pointed. I’ve read too many stories—or known too many people—who were genuinely hurt by “jokes” that were more cruel than clever.

Maybe there’s just too much foolishness in the world already. No need to pile on. Too many missing memos, too many hurt feelings, too many people winding up cross with one another.

Like that time Jesus told a story about some folks who worked a full day in a vineyard—and then others who barely broke a sweat at the end of the day—and everyone got paid the same. Naturally, the all-day workers are mad. They thought the kingdom of God worked like a timecard. Fair is fair.

(Or like that time in Ms. Rupe’s biology class when only two of us actually went to the greenhouse every day to run our watering acidity level experiment on spring flowers, and somehow [redacted] talked for ten seconds about our poster and still got an A-. I’m not bitter. Just saying.)

But the kingdom of God doesn’t work on timecards or project rubrics. It works on grace.

Jesus has never been about fair. He’s about rewriting the rules. About turning things upside-down. It’s not that the early workers got too little—it’s that the latecomers got more than anyone thought they deserved.

It still confuses people. Still frustrates some. Still feels a little foolish.

But it’s the good kind of foolishness—the generous, abundant, joy-spilling-over kind.

PRAYER
Good God of grace,
Thank you for not keeping score.
Help me to not do the same.
AMEN.