God isn't Fair

A lot of people leave God when... they get old enough to realize that God doesn’t make sure that everyone is dealt the same hand in life.

And it’s absolutely true.

Yet these same people, as children, heard about 'Lazarus and the Rich Man' in Sunday School,

but then went home and cheerfully ate pizza and played video games in a nice home

while other children around the world went to bed hungry.

Luke 16:19-31:

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.

20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores

21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.

23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,

because I am in agony in this fire.’

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,

but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place,

so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,

28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Let's look at the real differences between the rich man and Lazarus.

1) Jesus wouldn't even utter the rich man's name. The rich man ignored the needy and now even his name is denied.

God shares the wealth of this planet with humans and expects them to share with others.

The rich man ran out of time to become who God wanted him to be.

From the conversation, we can see that the rich man also ignored Holy Scripture, as did his siblings.

2) while this is extremely difficult for mortals to understand -

from God's perspective, a human lifetime is literally one drop of water versus all the oceans of the earth.

100 years is absolutely insignificant compared to eternity.

Lazarus has plenty of time in Heaven to recover from his mortal difficulties.

3) if you read the article on 'Free Will', you will see Lazarus' life is an example,

that God allows humans to experience the consequences of their own free will and the free will of others.

Those consequences might be from personal decisions, family habits, government edicts or society's behaviors.

God allows it. Yep.

4) note the arrogance of the rich man, even in hell:

24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,

because I am in agony in this fire.’

Even in the Eternal Fire, the rich man expected Lazarus to be his servant and carry water down to him?

Wow.

Didn't he realize that Lazarus, in heaven, now has a higher social ranking than he, a now-penniless, thirsty, nameless captive of hell?

Friend, when the inequalities of life vex you, look ahead to the justice that will prevail throughout eternity,

and make sure you are on God's side of the equation.