Dear Amy,
Why is it that some seem to receive more bounteous blessing from the Lord than others? How is that fair? And how is it congruent with a God of justice?
Let’s start with fair, and let’s be frank. What would be fair would be for each one of us to be cast into the fiery pit. And collectively, we must take responsibility through our wretched ancestors for much of the suffering of humankind, for we share the same rebellious spirit.
“Because you have … eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you.”
― Genesis 3:17
But, and this is a wonderful, unmerited, joyous but,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
― 1 John 1:9
What a rescue! What a Saviour! Praise him!
So, with grateful, praising hearts, in fear and trembling, let us dare to ask again, how is it that God’s blessing is quite so unevenly distributed?
Paul grappled with such a question in relation to the election of the gentiles and God’s apparent rejection of the nation of Israel (Romans 9-11). That he takes three chapters over this shows us that such questions are no small matter.
Let’s take some of his arguments and apply them to the more general question of uneven blessing.
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
― Romans 9:14-15
It is all mercy, and it is all undeserved. And let us not forget that the giver is the Creator God of the Universe.
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honourable use and another for dishonourable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory.
― Romans 9:21-23
Somehow in the unevenness of the blessing, God is making known the riches of his glory. Paul also shows us how to respond in the face of the apparent injustice of it all.
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
― Romans 10:1
And observe the extent of his love.
I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers.
― Romans 9:2-3
Is this then the key to understanding? Even as we cry out to God over the unevenness of the blessing, is this our opportunity to learn how to truly love, and in so doing to glorify God?
Jesus said,
“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”
“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
― Matthew 25:35-36, 40
May the Lord enlarge our hearts for this broken world as we look around and see places where his blessing seems to be absent. And let us cry out to him for mercy, to the Lord, our Heavenly Father.
In case you think we have arrived at a place of only partial understanding, let us observe that Paul himself, the great apostle and teacher, is in just that place after three chapters of his own wrestling.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
― Romans 11:33, 36
Cry out, Amy, to the one who is wise beyond understanding, and in places of meagre blessing love with his own love, from him and through him and to him, for his glory forever! 🙏