Is God Fair? You Already Know the Answer but Don’t Want to Think About It

John 5:1-8

In the current thinking of society, we want things to be fair.  We want everything to be equal.  Perhaps it has been the desire of mankind since the dawn of time.  It is what I see in the news and I know there are times I wish it was true for me.  Recently, I began thinking about fairness in the world and felt that it must be something God must want for us since it seems to be part of the fabric of mankind.  While you ponder the idea for a moment, please read the following from the 5^th chapter of John:

“Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals.  Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.  Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’

‘Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’
Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”
Did you notice that there was a “great number of disabled people" at this pool?  How many people did Jesus step over and around to get to this one man?  Was it fair of Jesus to select one person out of the group to heal?  Why didn’t He heal all of them?  

What caused Jesus to choose to heal this man?  From the passage, it seems Jesus was informed about this man’s story.  Was he told the story of anyone else?  I would think so but the scripture doesn’t indicate one way or another.  The question remains.  Why was this man picked and no one else.  Fairness demands that all of those there be healed. 

Think of other stories about Jesus.  He fed multitudes but many people still went hungry at other gatherings.  Jesus could have healed His friend Lazarus but waited until he died to do anything.  Still, He sometimes healed complete strangers and servants of people who weren’t even Jewish. You may be able to think of other stories. 

To ponder the great inequalities presented in the bible creates a tension we don’t want to consider.  Why does God choose to act for one but not another?  Why did John the Baptist die in prison but Peter was miraculously released?  Is God fair?  In our understanding of fairness, I believe the evidence clearly states God is not fair.  If this is true, why isn’t God fair? 

This is a hard question and I may not be qualified to answer but would like to share a thought or two.  First, we must remember that the world in which we live is not God’s perfect will.  He wants mankind to have free will.  Since we have free will, God does not meddle in our affairs.  Let’s face it, we don’t want God telling us what to do or making us do something against our will.  This goes for believers and nonbelievers.  Therefore, we are ultimately responsible for much of what we currently see. 

Second, while we think fairness and equality is a good thing, it isn’t as great as we believe.  We must remember that fairness doesn’t only mean good things that happen to others should happen to me (you).  It also means bad things would be equally spread around mankind.  I’m sure for some this would be a benefit since they feel they’ve had more bad than good.  Some extra good would be very nice. 

If fairness isn’t what we need, then what is?   Grace.  Psalm 103:10 says that God does not punish us for all of our sins or repay us as we deserve.  In Romans we learn that the wages of sin is death.  In fairness, we deserve judgment, punishment and damnation.  Instead, God gives us grace.  For a creation that is impotent to live up to the standards set forth by the 10 Commandments and additional rules in the Old Testament, God sent His Son to make a way for us.  He is the example by which we should live. 

We cannot save the world.  That is not our job.  Sometimes I wish I could help in every situation of need I see.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed by tragedies in the world. There is so much need and I know we are called to love and care for the widow, orphan, imprisoned, poor, hungry, naked and oppressed.  I cannot help them all.  However, I must help those whom God wants me to help. 

By God’s grace I may help this one but not that one.  I must trust that God’s help for that one will come soon.  Maybe it will be me that will help but I may not be the best person to give the assistance.  I may be incapable to help with healing they need.  Maybe that is you.  If it is you, maybe you aren’t ready yet.  Therefore, the person in need must wait. 

God is not fair but He is patient with His creation and sometimes delays so that all will come to repentance and understanding of who He is.  We may not see it in through the lens of society but the truth is that God favors us all.