THAT'S NOT FAIR!

But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ Matthew 20:13-15 

What is right, what is fair, isn’t always equal. During the course of any day teaching, I will not necessarily spend an equal time with each student. One day, one student may be having an emotionally tough day and will need more of my attention. During one lesson, one student will have more questions they need to have answered to be successful and will need more instructional attention. Though we lack perfection in doing so, teachers seek to provide for students what they need. 

That being fair necessitated being equal was in the mind of the Jews of Jesus’ day. They thought it unfair that Jesus would devote any of his ministry to the Gentiles. After all, the Jews had borne the heat of the struggle to guard the promise of the Messiah. As a nation, they had undergone famine, enslavement, exodus, persecution by neighboring people, bitter civil war, and captivity. Their numbers had grown and fallen. For centuries, they had been under the discipline of their God. 

The Gentiles had been carried along by God. He sent them rain. He gave them harvests. He built up their nations. They seemed to thrive while Judah barely held on. How then would it be fair if God called to them now and led them to repentance. Why should they benefit from the grace of God when they had ignored him for centuries? Why should they be allowed to call on His name when they had denied Him by pursuing idols? Why should they benefit from the teachings of this rabbi, Jesus? 

Jesus reminds them. Am I being unfair to you? Didn’t the Father have a covenant with you? Didn’t you promise to love and serve Him with your heart, mind, and soul? Didn’t He carry you through Egypt and the exodus and the judges and the kings? He has shown you grace for centuries. Why, since He is gracious, can’t He show grace and mercy and kindness to the Gentiles as well…even if they have come in the eleventh hour of the day? 

We, too, can learn from this parable. We should not begrudge anyone the grace that our Father extends to them as the Holy Spirit works trust in Christ in their hearts. Criminals, revelers, atheists, and politicians are not beyond the reach of the Holy Spirit. We must be diligent in preaching the gospel in Christ to them all. And as the Spirit works repentance in their hearts, we should rejoice as they come to faith even in the eleventh hour of their lives. Blessings. 

Frank Van Brocklin 

Principal Teacher 

Coming up in the near future at Immanuel Lutheran School:

❖ Thursday, September 21, will be a busy day with our first quarter assembly in the morning, early release (with bus service) at 1:40 PM, and faculty meeting following early release. 

❖ On Friday, September 22, we will celebrate Parents’ Night for our volleyball team.

❖ September 22 is also our first quarter midterm. 

❖ On Saturday, September 23, some of our students will be participating in a cross country in Wausau. 

❖ On Sunday, September 24, at noon, there will be a meeting with representatives of the Wisconsin School Choice group. All parents are invited and encouraged to attend.

❖ The next meeting of parents of confirmands will be Wednesday, September 27.

❖ On Thursday, September 28, the whole school will attend a field trip to Miss Marsha’s Pumpkin Patch.