I remember when I was growing up that a group of us neighborhood boys would find refuge from the hot summer days in my nice, cool basement and play Monopoly hour after hour and day after day from June 10 until September 2, except for a couple of hours in the afternoon when I had to deliver newspapers to the fifty or so customers on my route. We literally wore out a Monopoly game. Since that time I have done some thinking about attitudes and values in life and how they related to the game I spent much of my childhood playing. The goal of Monopoly is to put everybody else out of business, and once you have accomplished that you have won the game. But I have come to believe that there is not much by way of Christian principles in the game of Monopoly because according to the Bible God wants everybody to win. But bailing out a losing player is not fair to the other players and the game will never end.

In Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus gives us a parable telling why God has no intention of being fair and why people hate Him for it. A man went out to hire laborers for his vineyard. Early in the morning he went to the marketplace and found some men who were looking for work and they accepted his promise of a denarius, the just equivalent to a day’s wage and would meet the needs of their family. He went out several more times and found others also waiting to be hired and told them to go work in his vineyard and he would give them what was right. They went out not even knowing how much they would receive. Then he went out again at the last hour of the day and saw others and asked them why they were not out working someplace. They replied that they were still there because no one had hired them. So he told them to go labor in his vineyard and he would give them what was right. They went to work for that last hour of the day, also not knowing what they would receive.

The work day ended and the workers were called to collect their wage for the day, beginning with those who were hired last and had only worked one hour, and each received a denarius, realizing that they also had families to feed. But when those hired first came they supposed they would receive more, but when they also received a denarius became angry and complained against the landowner for not being fair. His simple answer was that they had agreed to a denarius and if he desired to give the others the same could he not do what he wished with his own money? They hated his generosity because they were greedy and self-seeking.

The same is true of the next incident in this chapter with the request of the mother of James and John asking for special seats for her sons in the kingdom of Christ. The other ten disciples were indignant, feeling that it was an unfair request rather than appreciating the commitment of the brothers to follow Jesus even through great unjust sufferings.

Next in the chapter we read that the crowds felt it was unfair for those who came long distances to hear Jesus teach and then not being able to hear because two men were shouting at the top of their voices for Jesus to restore their sight. If the crowd had been the blind ones would they have felt differently? Selfishness makes us blind to the pressing needs of others. Instead of three cases of grumbling in Matthew 20 there should have been three cases of rejoicing:
1. Laborers: Wasn’t it generous of the landowner to realize that we all have families to feed and need a day’s wage.
2. Ten disciples: Wasn’t it wonderful of that mother to dedicate her sons to God even to the point of suffering and death.
3. Multitude: Isn’t it wonderful how these blind men are proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah and have faith that He can heal them.

But selfishness strangles generous thoughts. Selfishness demands fairness and despises generosity. What if Jesus the sinless One had considered it unfair for Him to leave heaven and take our sins upon Himself? But He loved us and gave Himself for us. God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only Son for our redemption. God is a great giver, but to selfish people he appears to be unfair and greed is offended at generosity. Mary Magdalene anointed Jesus with a very expensive ointment, and Judas, the greedy treasurer was greatly offended. If we are unselfish we will rejoice at other people’s blessings. Because of selfishness it is very difficult to give things away. In one of our many moves we decided to get rid of most of our household possessions. We had many good friends in the area and decided to put a low price on the items and have a neighborhood sale. With our bargains we made many people very happy. If we had decided instead to give the items away we would have made many enemies—“how come I didn’t get anything, or didn’t get more, or better or different.”

God, however, has nothing for sale. He doesn’t charge us for the air we breathe nor the water we drink. God gives everything freely, that is why so many people hate Him. They would prefer not to be indebted to him. People would like to buy salvation with good works, money, etc. but God says no—it is free or not at all. Jesus told of some who would say “Lord, we have done so many wonderful things in your name,” but God replies, “Depart from me, you who work iniquity.”

Even salvation is not fair. Remember the thief on the cross who asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. He had lived for self all his life and then was saved at the last minute. Was that fair? If you are happy for him, you have caught God’s spirit of generosity. If it bothers you and you feel it was unfair, you reveal your selfishness. We read in Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” If God were only fair, we would all be lost. In spite of our deserving hell, He offers heaven to those who acknowledge their need and are willing to accept His gift.