Redefining Fair
Stories
Contents
"Redefining Fair" by Peter Andrew Smith
"How Great Thou Art!" by John Fitzgerald
Redefining Fair
by Peter Andrew Smith
Matthew 20:1-16
“Are you boys finished with your chores yet?” Linda called out from the kitchen.
Paul put two full bags of plastic containers next to the garage door. “I finished everything and Joey is almost done.”
“Good.” Linda took down two dessert bowls and sat them on the counter. Then she took out the ice cream and put a large scoop in each dish. “Just as I promised. How’s that?”
Paul examined both bowls and then crossed his arms. “That’s not fair.”
“They each have the same amount, don’t they?”
“They look exactly the same.”
“So if you each have the same amount of ice cream, how can that not be fair?” Linda asked. “This is exactly what I promised you.”
“Joey doesn’t deserve as much as I do.”
Linda tilted her head to one side. “Why would you say that? You both wanted some ice cream and I told you that you could have some after you were finished your chores.”
“That’s what I did.” Paul pointed toward the pile of recycling he had sorted. “All that Joey did was put away some groceries. My chore was way harder.”
“So?”
“So since I worked harder I should get more.” Paul looked at the dishes of ice cream. “I deserve more than he does.”
Linda shook her head. “That’s not what we agreed to. I told you that when you did your chores you would each get a scoop of ice cream.”
“You don’t understand,” Paul said. “I should get more.”
Kevin came in through the door and kissed Linda on the cheek. “Are we having ice cream?”
“The boys did their chores and I told them they could have some.”
“Ah. So where is Joey and why does Paul look like he’s been eating lemons?” Kevin asked as he took a bowl from the cupboard.
“Mom is being unfair.” Paul announced as Joey came into the room and sat at the counter.
“Are we not getting ice cream?” Joey asked.
Linda pushed a bowl toward him. “You brother thinks he should get more than you.”
Joy frowned. “That wouldn’t be fair, would it Dad?”
“That depends.” Kevin rubbed his chin. “Did your mother not say you could each have a scoop of ice cream after doing your chores?”
Both boys nodded.
“Since that’s what is in front of you I wonder why Paul thinks he should be getting more.”
“My chore was harder,” Paul said.
Kevin nodded. “It was.”
“See Mom, Dad agrees.” Paul grinned. “I get more ice cream.”
“No, you do not.” Kevin shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way.”
“If it doesn’t then it should.” Paul scowled.
“Really?” Kevin tilted his head. “So you think that we should divide everything up by how difficult the chores are?”
Paul nodded.
Kevin reached over and took most of Paul’s ice cream put it in his own bowl. “What do you think of that now?”
“That’s not fair!”
“How long did it take you to sort the recycling?”
“Almost half an hour.”
“It took me about three hours to do the yard work. Seems to me I should get a lot more ice cream than you should get based upon what we both did.”
Paul glanced over at his brother who was cheerfully eating his scoop of ice cream. “But why does Joey get to keep his?”
“Joey never complained about the scoop being unfair, did he?”
Paul sighed. “I guess maybe that getting what Mom promised us is better than dividing it up based upon what we did.”
“I agree.” Kevin gave him his scoop of ice cream back. “Does the ice cream seem like more than it did before?”
“I guess so.”
“That’s because before you thought that you earned it and deserved to have it. Now you realize that while you did some work the truth is that what you have is because you mother chose to give it to you.” Kevin sat beside the boys and took a spoonful of ice cream. “Thanks Linda, this really hits the spot.”
“Yeah, thanks Mom.” Joey said as he licked the spoon clean. Everyone turned to look at Paul.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“What are you thanking me for Paul?”
“The ice cream,” he said. “I guess if we were to divide it up on how much we worked I wouldn’t get that much.
“You’re welcome.” Linda smiled and put the ice cream back in the freezer. “Remember this lesson tomorrow when you go to Sunday School.”
“What lesson?” Paul said.
“The fact that grace is not always fair in the way that we think of fairness,” Linda said. “Grace is actually better because it is based in God’s love for us.”
* * *
How Great Thou Art!
by John Fitzgerald
Psalm 145:1-8
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
How Great Thou Art! is a popular Christian hymn with an interesting background. This song is taken from a poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg. Boberg took a traditional Swedish melody and put his poem to music in 1885 while composing the hymn. The song became translated into German and then Russian while quickly gaining a following with Christians overseas. An English missionary named Stuart K. Hine put the hymn to our language and added two verses of his own. George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows of Billy Graham Crusades fame took ahold of How Great Thou Art! and used it as a staple of their rallies in the 1950’s. It has remained a huge favorite since that time.
The fact this song has ministered to Christians in many different languages around our world for several decades indicates its universal appeal. People of faith everywhere are eager to praise God with the uplifting lyrics found in How Great Thou Art!
The words from this song of praise read like something out of our Book of Psalms. Psalm 145 is a wonderful example of praising the God who rules and reigns over all things. The Psalmist commands us to “extol our God the King who is worthy of praise for ever and ever.” (Verses 1-2) It goes on to say, “his greatness no one can fathom, for one generation commends to another your works.’ (Verses 3-4) We are to “speak of the glorious splendor and proclaim your great deeds.” (Verses 5-6) Finally, “abundant goodness and song about the righteousness of God shall be ours. For the Lord is gracious and compassionate.” (Verse 7-8)
When we look at the goodness of God to us there is nothing but praise that can come from our lips. It is a pity modern man does not stop to contemplate the mystery, wonder, and awe of the God who created all things. We are bent on hurrying and scurrying and do not recognize the handiwork of our Lord.
God is trying to say his Kingdom is all around us if only we would take time to see and hear. The hustle and bustle of this world assaults us, but God is present if we are available. Will you gain a vision of God’s glory which surrounds us and give praise? Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee: How Great Thou Art! how Great Thou Art!
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 24, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Redefining Fair" by Peter Andrew Smith
"How Great Thou Art!" by John Fitzgerald
Redefining Fair
by Peter Andrew Smith
Matthew 20:1-16
“Are you boys finished with your chores yet?” Linda called out from the kitchen.
Paul put two full bags of plastic containers next to the garage door. “I finished everything and Joey is almost done.”
“Good.” Linda took down two dessert bowls and sat them on the counter. Then she took out the ice cream and put a large scoop in each dish. “Just as I promised. How’s that?”
Paul examined both bowls and then crossed his arms. “That’s not fair.”
“They each have the same amount, don’t they?”
“They look exactly the same.”
“So if you each have the same amount of ice cream, how can that not be fair?” Linda asked. “This is exactly what I promised you.”
“Joey doesn’t deserve as much as I do.”
Linda tilted her head to one side. “Why would you say that? You both wanted some ice cream and I told you that you could have some after you were finished your chores.”
“That’s what I did.” Paul pointed toward the pile of recycling he had sorted. “All that Joey did was put away some groceries. My chore was way harder.”
“So?”
“So since I worked harder I should get more.” Paul looked at the dishes of ice cream. “I deserve more than he does.”
Linda shook her head. “That’s not what we agreed to. I told you that when you did your chores you would each get a scoop of ice cream.”
“You don’t understand,” Paul said. “I should get more.”
Kevin came in through the door and kissed Linda on the cheek. “Are we having ice cream?”
“The boys did their chores and I told them they could have some.”
“Ah. So where is Joey and why does Paul look like he’s been eating lemons?” Kevin asked as he took a bowl from the cupboard.
“Mom is being unfair.” Paul announced as Joey came into the room and sat at the counter.
“Are we not getting ice cream?” Joey asked.
Linda pushed a bowl toward him. “You brother thinks he should get more than you.”
Joy frowned. “That wouldn’t be fair, would it Dad?”
“That depends.” Kevin rubbed his chin. “Did your mother not say you could each have a scoop of ice cream after doing your chores?”
Both boys nodded.
“Since that’s what is in front of you I wonder why Paul thinks he should be getting more.”
“My chore was harder,” Paul said.
Kevin nodded. “It was.”
“See Mom, Dad agrees.” Paul grinned. “I get more ice cream.”
“No, you do not.” Kevin shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way.”
“If it doesn’t then it should.” Paul scowled.
“Really?” Kevin tilted his head. “So you think that we should divide everything up by how difficult the chores are?”
Paul nodded.
Kevin reached over and took most of Paul’s ice cream put it in his own bowl. “What do you think of that now?”
“That’s not fair!”
“How long did it take you to sort the recycling?”
“Almost half an hour.”
“It took me about three hours to do the yard work. Seems to me I should get a lot more ice cream than you should get based upon what we both did.”
Paul glanced over at his brother who was cheerfully eating his scoop of ice cream. “But why does Joey get to keep his?”
“Joey never complained about the scoop being unfair, did he?”
Paul sighed. “I guess maybe that getting what Mom promised us is better than dividing it up based upon what we did.”
“I agree.” Kevin gave him his scoop of ice cream back. “Does the ice cream seem like more than it did before?”
“I guess so.”
“That’s because before you thought that you earned it and deserved to have it. Now you realize that while you did some work the truth is that what you have is because you mother chose to give it to you.” Kevin sat beside the boys and took a spoonful of ice cream. “Thanks Linda, this really hits the spot.”
“Yeah, thanks Mom.” Joey said as he licked the spoon clean. Everyone turned to look at Paul.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“What are you thanking me for Paul?”
“The ice cream,” he said. “I guess if we were to divide it up on how much we worked I wouldn’t get that much.
“You’re welcome.” Linda smiled and put the ice cream back in the freezer. “Remember this lesson tomorrow when you go to Sunday School.”
“What lesson?” Paul said.
“The fact that grace is not always fair in the way that we think of fairness,” Linda said. “Grace is actually better because it is based in God’s love for us.”
* * *
How Great Thou Art!
by John Fitzgerald
Psalm 145:1-8
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
How Great Thou Art! is a popular Christian hymn with an interesting background. This song is taken from a poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg. Boberg took a traditional Swedish melody and put his poem to music in 1885 while composing the hymn. The song became translated into German and then Russian while quickly gaining a following with Christians overseas. An English missionary named Stuart K. Hine put the hymn to our language and added two verses of his own. George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows of Billy Graham Crusades fame took ahold of How Great Thou Art! and used it as a staple of their rallies in the 1950’s. It has remained a huge favorite since that time.
The fact this song has ministered to Christians in many different languages around our world for several decades indicates its universal appeal. People of faith everywhere are eager to praise God with the uplifting lyrics found in How Great Thou Art!
The words from this song of praise read like something out of our Book of Psalms. Psalm 145 is a wonderful example of praising the God who rules and reigns over all things. The Psalmist commands us to “extol our God the King who is worthy of praise for ever and ever.” (Verses 1-2) It goes on to say, “his greatness no one can fathom, for one generation commends to another your works.’ (Verses 3-4) We are to “speak of the glorious splendor and proclaim your great deeds.” (Verses 5-6) Finally, “abundant goodness and song about the righteousness of God shall be ours. For the Lord is gracious and compassionate.” (Verse 7-8)
When we look at the goodness of God to us there is nothing but praise that can come from our lips. It is a pity modern man does not stop to contemplate the mystery, wonder, and awe of the God who created all things. We are bent on hurrying and scurrying and do not recognize the handiwork of our Lord.
God is trying to say his Kingdom is all around us if only we would take time to see and hear. The hustle and bustle of this world assaults us, but God is present if we are available. Will you gain a vision of God’s glory which surrounds us and give praise? Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee: How Great Thou Art! how Great Thou Art!
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 24, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
