Unfairness and Irresponsibility

When we view life as being unfair, the problem becomes, we use the unfairness to excuse our irresponsibility. Andy Stanley says it this way: “If I don’t get a big piece of the pie, can you expect me to be a responsible person? Why try? Why go the extra mile if I don’t get the benefits? I have every right in the world to walk away from my responsibilities because someone else got my fair share.”

Why? Because as we have already seen, irresponsibility creates conflict between ourselves and others, and it creates conflict with ourself. Benjamin Franklin said it this way: “He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else.” When we make our focus the unfairness and unevenness of life, the more we are tempted to excuse our irresponsibility because of what someone else has or hasn’t done.

This week we are studying Matthew 25:14-30, The Parable of the Talents, and in this amazing story, Jesus offers a unique insight on God's view of unfairness and irresponsibility. And it is fascinating.

The parable comes as the result of a question asked by the disciples requesting that Jesus describe the kingdom of heaven. Jesus responds with a series of parables to help them (and us) understand what the Kingdom of God is like. Now, if there is anywhere you would expect fairness and evenness, it would be the Kingdom of God. But this parable provides a shocking revelation about God's kingdom, fairness, and irresponsibility, as we shall see later in the week.