I really, really don’t like hearing, “That’s not fair!” . My kids must have picked up on that, because they very rarely ever said it.

The idea of “fairness” has to do with getting what I’ve earned or deserve. Or it’s at least someone else not getting what I haven’t gotten, right?

I have two problems with fairness. First, who gets to decide what’s fair? Me? You? A committee? The government? Oh, please, not them. And second, who said things were supposed to be fair?

I started thinking about this morning because I heard a couple guys on the radio talking about a 14-member committee that was recommending Major League Baseball realign their divisions to move teams away from the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

Why?

Because it’s not fair to the other teams in the division that the Yankees and Red Sox always make the playoffs.

Grown men came to that conclusion. Are you kidding me? It’s not fair?

Let’s just not play the games. Just shut it down. If baseball has come to this, then just shut the whole league down. Of course rather than realigning divisions, why not limit the Yankees and Red Sox to just two strikes when they’re batting? Or maybe they should only be allowed to play with eight players? Better yet, let’s not keep score any more. What could be more fair than that?

Okay, forget baseball for a minute. Here’s the thing–I don’t think God values fairness very highly.

Is it fair that some people are born in the United States with clean water, an abundance of food, access to health care and numerous educational opportunities while much of the world lacks some or all of those things? Is it fair that millions of women are born in countries that treat women with less value than men? Is it fair that some people are born with perfect bodies while some are born with severe handicaps?

Is it fair that Jesus was innocent of all charges, but was sentenced to death anyway?

If being fair means getting what we deserve, then none of us really want what’s fair. Paul wrote in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…”

I sinned. I earned a wage. It’s called death. That’s fair.

Fortunately, the second part of that verse is unfair, “…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

I sinned. I earned a wage. It’s called death. But instead of receiving death, I received a gift. Jesus died in my place, so I could receive eternal life. That’s not fair.

That’s grace.

If you play in the American League East, then work harder. Scout better. Practice more. Just don’t whine about fairness. You don’t want what’s fair.

None of us do.