We talk a lot about fairness in life, in work, in love.
But fairness is often just a mirror for our fear.
We want things to be fair because deep down, we want proof that we are worthy.
Fairness feels like safety. It promises that if we do enough, give enough, or stay good enough, we’ll get what we deserve.
But grace doesn’t play by those rules. And that’s what makes it so uncomfortable
The Workers in the Vineyard: When Grace Feels Unfair
In Jesus’ parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16), the landowner pays everyone the same wage whether they worked all day or just one hour. Naturally, the early workers are angry. “That’s not fair!” But the landowner’s reply cuts through the noise: “Are you envious because I am generous?”
The story exposes the fear hiding behind our idea of fairness; the fear that someone else’s blessing means there’s less for us.
Yet God’s grace isn’t divided. It’s multiplied.
Fairness counts; grace celebrates.
The Unforgiving Debtor: When We Fear Losing Control
Then there’s the parable of the unforgiving debtor (Matthew 18:21–35).
A man is forgiven a massive debt, but when someone owes him a small amount, he demands full payment. Why?
Because fairness gives us a sense of control. If we forgive too freely, we risk being taken advantage of. If we release the debt, we lose our power.
But grace invites us to trust that we are secure even when others are not fair to us.
Forgiveness is freedom from the fear that someone else’s sin can still define our peace.
The Unjust Manager: When Fear Drives Our Decisions
In the parable of the unjust manager (Luke 16:1–13), a man about to lose his job scrambles to make deals to secure his future. He’s clever, but he’s also desperate — driven by fear of losing comfort and status. It’s a picture of what happens when fear replaces faith.
Fairness isn’t the concern here — survival is.
And yet Jesus commends the man’s shrewdness, not his fear. The lesson? Be wise, but don’t let fear run your story.
Trust that security doesn’t come from balancing every scale, but from belonging to the One who holds them.
The Prodigal Son: When Grace Offends the Fearful Heart
And then, the parable that says it all, the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). The younger son wastes everything, yet the father runs to embrace him. The older brother stands outside, furious. He’s kept every rule. He’s been faithful. He’s been fair. But fairness blinds him to the beauty of grace. He’s afraid — afraid his faithfulness no longer means anything, afraid that love isn’t safe if it’s given freely. The father’s answer is gentle and firm: “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”
Grace doesn’t diminish the faithful. It simply reminds them they were loved all along.