The Fairness of God

Read It: Matthew 20:11-16 (NRSV)
11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”


Learn It:
When I was a child I always had the impression that God was fair.  After all, God loves everyone and we are all God's children so God must be fair and equal to each and every one of us.  That is what I was brought up understanding (whether I taught that to myself or learned it I don't remember exactly).
While I was in seminary I spent some time chatting with a professor about fairness.  As you might guess the professor brought up this passage and asked me if in this passage I thought God was fair.  I couldn't help but answer with a "no" even though I very much wanted to say yes because of my childhood understanding that I brought into adulthood.  God loves us all but that doesn't equal God is fair to us all.  All the workers in the passage above received the same wage even though they didn't all work the same amount.  God gives us all the gift of life and gives us God's promises no matter what.  We may not want "this person" or "that person" to be saved as we are because they didn't believe as much or as well or they weren't as "good" a Christian as we were.  Fortunately it's not up to us.  God loves us all...no matter what.  Salvation is up to God not us.  Trust me when I say that is a VERY GOOD thing!


Share It:
What do you think about this whole idea of God being or not being fair?  What is your impression or feelings about this?  How would you differentiate fairness from God to God's love for everyone?  What are examples that you can come up with that show that God isn't fair?  Do you think God should be fair in everything or do you think that God should be "generous" in God's promises and gifts?  Share you answers and any other questions that might come up during your time together.


Live It:
Spend this next week trying to do what is loving and generous not necessarily what is fair.  There are times when those two things might be different.  If you can't find a way to do it yourself spend the next week watching others and see if you can identify times when people are being fair but not loving and times when people are being loving but not fair.  Good luck!

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Overcoming Evil with Good

Read It: Romans 12:14–21 (NRSV)

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

Learn It:

Paul gives us a kind of laundry list of things that we should do and the way we should live.  It's not just a list of things we shouldn't do but ways that we can live with one another...both Christian and non.  If you look at this list it really is a wonderful list of how to interact with people in appropriate ways.  Be happy with others who are happy about something.  Don't think too highly of yourself or say you are much smarter than you really are. Then Paul goes on to say one of my favorite quotes which comes from the Old Testament about vengeance belongs to God.  We don't have to worry about being vengeful even if that might be our first reaction.  If someone hits you you might want to hit them back or get payback for something they do to you.  God tells us that those kinds of things are for God and it it up to God to decide if God will take action or not.  The last line really says it all...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. That is truly what it's all about.  

Share It:

Take the Bible passage from above and walk through it with your family verse by verse.  Talk about what each of you thinks the verse means and what are ways that you see that in your everyday life.  Then talk about how you can apply these Christian ideas to the way you interact with others.  Think of other things you might add to this list that Paul has created to live in harmony with each person that you meet.

Live It:

This weeks live it is simple.  Try to apply these ideas you talked about above and the ones in Paul's list to the Romans (our passage up top) to each person that you meet this week.  We all know that there is bound to be someone in our week ahead that we might find difficult to interact with or be pleasant with...use these words from Paul as a way to work through that difficult encounter so that both you and the person you are interacting with leave with a sense of Christian love.

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Why did I do that?

Read It:  Romans 7:15,24-25a (NLT)

15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.  

24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Learn It:

Just like last weeks devotion we find another wonderful text that really speaks to who we are as people.  That is probably what is so powerful about Paul as a writer, speaker, and servant of Christ...he knows what it is like to be someone who has messed up and done things that he shouldn't have done.  Paul was one of the main persecutors of Christianity from the beginning and now he is the main teller of the faith.  Even still, he doesn't always do the right thing and he admits his own failings so that he can show the Romans that people aren't perfect but it is God who is perfect and God through Jesus Christ that frees us from our lives that are dominated by sin.

Share It:

This week I am going to put a little pressure on the parents.  I would like the parents to share with their families times when they've done things they shouldn't have done.  What were things in your youth or young adulthood that you did when you knew you shouldn't have?  Share with your family to show that we all do our best but sometimes we slip up.  The rest of the family...as kids there are plenty of times when you don't always do as your told.  Share a time when you did that and felt terrible afterward.  This is a time not to judge or criticize but simply to hear the stories of how none of us are perfect, but in our imperfection God loves us still!

Live It:

This week when you realize you did something maybe you shouldn't have done take a moment and think about why you did it and then reflect on this verse.  Also if you encounter or learn about something that someone did and shouldn't have remind yourself...none of us are perfect...but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try!

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To Sin or Not to Sin

Read It: Romans 6:14-15 (NRSV)

 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 

Learn It:

What a great question.  Should we not worry about sinning because we know that we have been saved by grace?  If I'm already promised eternal life through God's grace and forgiveness then what is there to stop me from sinning?  Paul wants us to understand that living in a life of grace and God's forgiveness is a free gift, but if we go and show our lives to other people and in Paul's example God, then our life should reflect the gift given us.  So if we are people who love God then we should have examples and memories of ways we have lived that out. If, however, we have a life full of sin yet say we believe then maybe our true belief isn't what we claim it to be.  Don't just say you believe but live it out.  SAY and DO what you believe.  We don't perform acts of love to others to earn God's grace but we do it as a RESPONSE to that free gift of love and grace.

Share It:

What are the ways that you as a family live out your faith life?  What ways do you live under the grace of God and not under the law of sin?  What might be other ways in the future that you can respond to the grace God has given you?  In other words, what are ways that you can say THANK YOU to God for the gift of grace which tells us of God's love and forgiveness and everlasting life for us?  Share with your family about these ideas and more about living in God's amazing grace!

Live It:

This next week pick 1 thing you can do to live in God's grace and respond to it.  Help out a friend, send someone a note, give a hug, etc.  Make this time a time to live out the gifts God freely gives us.

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Free From Sins

Read It: 1 Peter 2:24 (NRSV)

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Learn It:

Recently I had the great opportunity to take several of our youth to Holden Village. One of the topics of conversation on our way home was about the text above though we didn't quote the text. They couldn't believe that Jesus would go to the cross and bear ALL the sins of humankind upon himself so that as he died our sins would die with him. Jesus did this so, as the text says, we might live free from sins and live a full and healthy life. That doesn't mean that we won't ever sin because we all do, but we don't have to worry about the weight of sin because we are forever forgiven of them. Therefore we live for righteousness...we live a life that reflects that forgiveness and freedom we have been given.

Share It:

Do you ever feel the burden of sin upon you at times in your life? Share with your family the times when you were, or even right now, feel that there were times when you were overcome or burdened by sin. How did you move past the sin? Did telling (confessing) God what was on your heart help? Share your thoughts and ideas about sin and the freedom that Christ bring us us always.

Live It:

During this next week...and onward...when you feel the weight of sin upon you think about the sacrifice that Christ made for each of us. He took those sins to the cross so that you might live free from them...burdened no more. "...by his wounds you have been healed." Remember those wonderful words.

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