IT JUST ISN'T FAIR!



Lesson - Naaman's cleansing


II Kgs 5:11, 12, 20
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.




It just isn’t fair!
That which is called ‘unfair’ is often only self-centered rebellion at work.
The child; teenager; man/wife; the sick; the preacher; the church member; employees; farmers; etc. etc. all have felt they have been treated unfairly when they didn’t get something to which they felt entitled, or just because someone else had it.




I Naaman’s ‘unfair’ treatment
A. V 11 He wasn’t treated with the proper ‘dignity’.
1. Many refuse to repent because it is ‘undignified’;
Mat 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.




It isn’t ‘fair that I have to be saved on the same level with the murderer and prostitute!
Lu 5:30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.




Lu 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

B. He was treated with ‘disrespect’
He demanded healing from the King, and didn’t get it; rather he was sent to a ‘Jewish prophet’ and even he sent the message by a servant.
Men are still searching for the answer from ‘dignified’ sources; The vaulted cathedral, the majestic organ, the priestly vestments, the hushed atmosphere, the predictable liturgy are dignified. So is the town drunk in his coffin! ( The woman in labor may not be ‘dignified’, but from her comes life!




C. The message wasn’t suitable - v 12,
Works for salvation is so much more aesthetically acceptable than to be washed in His blood.
From indulgences and penance to social activism - to concerts to fight hunger or injustice; It won’t work to cleanse the soul.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. might have received raves for ‘I did it my way’ from men, but that song is not sung or even hinted at around the throne.



The Application


1. The message of salvation may come from those hated for His name’s sake, but He authorized no one else.


Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved
2. The message of salvation may address man as ‘undignified’, but according to the truth, he is!


Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.





3. the gospel - undignified or not, is the power of God unto salvation .
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
No other river could help Naaman, nor can anything but the blood of Christ cleanse sinners.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

D. Jesus said that the whole thing was not only fair, but actually favored Naaman.
Lu 4:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.




III Gehazi - thought it not ‘fair’ not to be enriched when it was there for the taking.
II Kgs 5:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.




I Cor 9:18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

Jonah - It wasn’t ‘fair’ to ask him to go preach to Nineveh - It certainly wasn’t ‘fair’ that God allowed Nineveh to repent. It never occurred to him that he would be in a fine kettle of fish if God had not allowed him to repent
Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.
2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.




Peter - “Why me, Lord? What about him?”
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.




Jno 21:21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.




The ‘penny a day’ laborers
Jno 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.




The prodigal son’s brother - It wasn’t fair! He never had a party!


Lu 15:25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.

26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.

29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.




It isn’t fair that I am condemned because of Adam’s sin
Ezek 18:2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die



Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;



Jno 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Jesus took away the sin of the world (adamic sin) We are sinners by nature because of Adam, but we are guilty before God for our own sin..




Who would dare storm heaven and demand that God on His throne give an answer for our perceived injustices? Yet, in our own minds, we do it over and over!


The answer to our discontent:


I Tim 66 But godliness with contentment is great gain.



Phil 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
This is not the contentment of a cud-chewing bovine lying in a pasture, but of a worker cheerfully proceeding with the Master’s business.



Job - the epitome of undeserved (unfair) suffering and loss, yet he never accused God of unfairness!
Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.