It wasn’t fair!  I had worked hard!  I worked my buns off for Fidelity Federal Bank.   For almost 20 years, thank you very much!  I was always either on time or even early.  I worked late hours.  I even took work home in order to meet their deadlines.  I went to classes, seminars and conferences.  I trained my staff very well.   I earned promotions within the company and within the bank and the loan department.  I was even approached – chosen if you will – to take on a key leadership position. I was liked and respected by my staff and peers and upper management.  I was a good manager – even an award-winning manager.  So when the layoffs hit my department, my staff, my personal office and desk and myself – was that fair?

Well, at least I am in good company.   We see Moses as the good leader.  He is even an award-winning leader.  He is God’s chosen leader of the children of Israel .   Moses brings them out of slavery from Egypt .  He leads them through their wanderings in the desert for 40 years.  The people do appear to respect Moses in spite of their complaining.  And at least they do keep following his leadership.  Through these many years of wanderings Moses leads; the people whine.  Through it all God hears them and protects them and continues to love them.  God provides; the people gripe and rebel. 

When we meet up now with the people we learn they are out of water - again.   This is the second time.  And again the people rebel.   This time Moses reacts.   Moses says, “Shall we bring water for you out of this rock.”   Instead of speaking to the rock as God instructed him, Moses clobbers the rock – not once, but twice.

            Then we see the Big Boss come out of that “heavenly” corner office.  God motions to Moses and, in essence, says, “Come into my office.”  God says that Moses (and his brother Aaron) acted in unbelief.  To top it off Moses takes credit for providing the water when it was God’s doing.  God says, “…you did not trust in me, you did not believe in Me, You did not treat Me as holy before the Israelites…”   

             With that, God makes His decision known.  His reason is simple: Because they did not believe, therefore, Moses and Aaron are not allowed to enter the promised land.   Wow, for one statement and two smacks on a rock, this is a huge penalty.   Moses has come all this way, all these miles, all these years, all this dust and dirt, all the infighting, the death of their sister Miriam.  And for what?  Banishment!  Banishment from the promised land just like any other person  who rebelled against God.

What is fair about that?  Moses wasn’t punished like this when he killed another human being.  And what about all the times Moses did obey?   You’d think there would be some slack for this chosen man of God.  The very one who led and managed God’s own people through all the times when the people were unmanageable and did not want to be led.   What about those times? 

            I know many here today might be thinking of experiences in your own lives and you are also thinking, “Yea, what about those times?”  You work hard, long and grueling hours – only to be passed over for the coveted promotion and needed raise.  You work hard for your home, now in the right school district, and for what?  You get laid off from the job you’ve had for 25 years.   Some of you younger people have attempted to make friends with certain other youth, partly because you are likable and you like others…and partly as a witness to Jesus.  Now you hear they are talking about you behind your back – in a not very nice way.  What’s fair about that?  Perhaps others of you have prepared to compete in some sporting event or for running the marathon (like Kim Kelly of our congregation is doing today).  You have put many long and painful hours preparing.   Now you have a pulled and torn ligament.  You must sit on the side line and cheer on someone else.   Or, you married the love of your life, raised a family together and upon retirement, you or the love of your love suffers from a debilitating heart attack or stroke or cancer, or other disease.  Or indeed your beloved dies.  What is fair about that?  What is fair about that? 

God has never promised life would be fair.  He has promised His judgment, mercy and love.  There will always be disappointments in life.  Those disappoints will continue to happen for reasons we might never know the answer until we have reached glory with God.  As for Moses, perhaps God has restrained and prevented Moses from that Promised Land, to keep him from an even bigger disappointment.  After all, the new land is very similar to many other lands.  And scripture tells us the new chosen leader has youth on his side.  The youth of Joshua has strength and a new vision for leadership that Moses probably no longer possesses.  

And at this point in history, the ultimate role and purpose of the Israelites is not yet known.  Until Moses is able to see the larger purpose of God in bringing His people to the new land, indeed to Himself, Moses will be disappointed. Until he has an understanding of the heart of all the work God has done through him and beyond, Moses will be disappointed in entering this new land.   

            Alright, so let’s flip the pages of history forward several hundred years, and the pages of scripture several Book.  We are on another mountain.  From Matthew 17:1-3, 5b:  “And six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves.  And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.  And behold, MOSES and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. … behold a bring could overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”  Wow, Moses is one of the two with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.  How cool is that?  Together with Elijah, Moses sits with Jesus and they talk.  No doubt, this is when Jesus looks to His own exodus coming soon in Jerusalem .   God promised Moses a savior!  But Jesus did not appear until several hundred years It is while he sits with Jesus that Moses reaches that even deeper understanding of what God is all about; His purpose; His kingdom.   Finally, Moses does reach the promised land! 

            No, God is not fair…Thank God!  If God were fair He would not have even sent His Son in the first place.  If God were fair, the innocent Jesus would not have died for us guilty ones.  If God were fair we would be without all hope.

            Every time I think how unfair life is, I know I am a blessed recipient of God’s mercy, love and hope.  I would be nothing  - we would be nothing - with God’s fairness.  

As we come to the Table for Communion during this time of Lent, the words of the poem “Love lustres at Calvary ” speak to the unfairness of God.  I don’t know the author.  I’ll not read the entire poem:

            . . . . Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,

cast off that I might be brought in,

trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend,

            surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best,

            stripped that I might be clothed,

            wounded that I might be healed,

            athirst that I might drink,

            tormented that I might be comforted,

            made a shame that I might inherit glory,

            entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

            My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,

            groaned that I might have endless song,

            endured all pain that I might have            unfading health,

            bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem,

            bowed His head that I might uplift            mine,

            experienced reproach that I might            receive welcome,

            closed His eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,

            expired that I might for ever live. . . .

God is unfair. . . thank God!