When Life Is Not Fair

Whether you are very familiar with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, or whether it still feels a bit new, it is a story marked with what seems to be a rather strong and harsh ending. To set the context of the story, Jesus tells us that there are two men, and these two are separated only by a distance of perhaps a few yards, as a rich man lives in luxury inside his home, and Lazarus, a poor man, lives outside. The rich man is dressed in the finest garments made of luxurious materials and in expensive color, and he also dines sumptuously each day. Truly, it seems that this man has done well in this life, at least by a worldly standard! However, Lazarus, we are told, is not so lucky. Instead of the comforts of a home, he is exposed to the elements, and suffers the results of not being well-cared for. He starves constantly for the rich man’s excess that falls from his table, and it seems that dogs are the only ones that pay him much attention, at least from the outside. From a worldly standard, it seems that Lazarus has the absolute worst hand being dealt to him by life, for whatever reason.

This does cause a certain sense of wonder though: would any one of us have blamed Lazarus for being resentful and angry for his lot in life? Would any of us have found fault with him disliking the rich man and his complacent attitude, and perhaps even speaking ill of him to any passerby that would lend his ear to his voice? Perhaps many of us wouldn’t have necessarily thought less of Lazarus for being bitter and upset about his lot in life, because it seems that it just isn’t fair to him, especially in considering the rich man and what he could have done for him!

However, did Lazarus stoop to such a level? In fact, when we say that “life isn’t fair” for him, do we tend to view that in terms of eternity, or simply our own earthly standards? In the case of the rich man, it is easy to deduce that he was viewing his own life in terms of the short-term earthly standard. He didn’t necessarily concern himself with anything that might have longer-lasting implications, and simply went about living life unaware and unconcerned for the need to follow God’s commandments, and even to be of service to his neighbor in any numbers of ways. He certainly was concerned with his short-term success. Yet, doesn’t that become a long-term loss?

The view of Lazarus may have never actually been towards the short-term. He may not have paid much attention to the mistreatment, the sufferings, and the afflictions of this life, because his gaze was fixed on something altogether different: the promise of life eternal in a place of long-lasting comfort and peace. He didn’t let himself become distracted by injustice, by persecution, by affliction, or by the many disappointments that can happen in this life, because he knew these things fall away, and a relationship strongly forged in Christ will remain, if he but submitted himself to doing the work and hoping in a better future. Perhaps even his darkest moments of hurt and suffering were moments where he still experienced the light of hope!

That should also be our view. It is no mystery that we will often suffer mistreatment, misunderstanding, disappointments, persecutions, and so many different unjust things, perhaps many much worse than one could list here. Yet, in all of these things, are we shaken in our resolve? Do we get focused on the fact that, at least right now, “Life isn’t fair”? Do we look for that eternal light, even in darkness?

Perhaps that is the better way. We, like Lazarus, even in life’s most difficult moments, especially when it does not seem fair, should continue to keep our eyes gazing towards Abraham, and towards that place when everything- including all of these earthly afflictions and pains- will fall way. If we persevere, we can have hope in our Father who wants us to be by his side for all eternity, and we will then experience the very best that life has to offer.

Perhaps then, life will not be a battle of the fair verses the unfair, but rather a place of eternal comfort and reward for our perseverance. Perhaps that is what made the difference for Lazarus.