IS GOD UNFAIR?
The Circle around the Cross
Sakkie Parsons
Following a conversation I had with someone about whether it is unfair of God, to completely forgive and save a person who repents on his deathbed, just like another person who gave it all, worked hard and faithfully served our Lord throughout his life.
To this person it looked so wrong that in this case these two people, you might say, get the same benefits.
Regarding this I would like to share the following with you:
I gave my heart and life to Jesus in 1973 and from that time onwards, I cannot recall a time in my life that I did not work for our Lord, except the year 1982, when I went through a really traumatic time.
My father however, was an unsaved and harsh man who had no fear for anyone. I will not even try to describe his life to you. Enough if I say that he was literally in and out of prison and we as children were mercifully taken away by Welfare early in our childhood.
Then, a few years before his death, he repented and accepted Jesus Christ as His Lord and Saviour and since then I had the honour to know, for a couple of years, one of the greatest sons of God.
Then he passed away and went to be with the Lord. One day I was thinking of him and the idea came to me: Is it not a bit unfair?
There he is – enjoying heaven with just a few years of working for our Lord in his life, and here I am – in my whole life not having done even a small part of the wrong that he has done and with it all, worked much longer and harder for our Lord and I am still not in heaven.
Now I want to share with you what our Lord taught me – but first read the following passage:
MAT 20:1-15
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.'
5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'
8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'
9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.
11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,
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 a denarius?
14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.
15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'
We as humans like to do things in order, for example: “First come, first serve.”
There is this story of “King Arthur and his knights.” In this story, if I’m right, the King does not want to favour the one knight over the other but as they sat at the table, some knights sat near to him and others far from him. To eliminate the problem, he got rid of the long table and introduced a round table.
And so it is in God’s Kingdom – No one is far away from the Cross. We all, so to speak, are in a Circle around the Cross.
This is how it happens that those who are first are also last, because; where is the beginning of the Circle around the Cross?
For this reason those who were last are now first, because; where is the beginning of the Circle around the Cross?
Because God is God, all His wonderful redeeming love is available to you but also all His redeeming love is available to me – just as all His redeemable love is available to the person that repents on his/her deathbed and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Perhaps someone think that I am taking it too far – but then read this:
LUKE 23:39-43
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40 But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
42 And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
One can say that this man was on his deathbed – or for that matter, hung on his deathbed – and Jesus spoke these words to him:
LUKE 23:43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Remember that when Jesus said these words to the man next to Him, John, who was His beloved disciple, also stood there in the circle around the cross – but Jesus did not say to John that he also would be with Him in paradise today – simply because John’s calling was not done here on earth. No, to John the beloved apostle, even though Jesus loved John very dearly, He said that he first had to take care of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
JOHN 19:25-27
25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"
27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
It is JESUS who paid the price for our salvation and He paid the full price for everyone.
Therefor it does not matter how bad you have been – little or much like my father.
It does not matter if you have followed the devil for a short time and if you do this for a long time, Jesus paid the full price for you and me as well as my father, as well as the man on the cross.
It also does not matter if you have a long life of wrongdoing behind you or if you are still a teenager.
It does not matter if your life still lies ahead, or if you are lying on your deathbed –
JESUS is saying to every person that will listen:
REV 3:20-22
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"
Furthermore our Lord also says:
JOHN 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
If you, who are reading this writing, are not yet part of the Christian circle, please come without delay and with repentance and a thankful heart, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today and how wonderful, become part of the Circle around the Cross – where I cannot be first and you cannot be last.
Greetings,
Sakkie