“The Scales of Justice and The Gift of Grace”

Jesus said, “So, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20: 16

Remember as a child arguing over who should get the biggest piece of cake or the best toy to play with? It felt so important at the time. We like when things are fair and when we are rewarded for our hard work and when others get what they deserve. This is how the world thinks about justice, but we learn from the Bible that God looks at justice differently.

Even if you don’t know much about the Bible, you might have heard this line from Jesus, “the last will be first and the first will be last”. It just doesn’t make any logical sense, it just doesn’t seem fair. When Jesus said it, he was teaching his followers about God’s justice. God looks at justice from a perspective of grace. Grace is underserved favour and love. We can’t earn it and we don’t deserve it, but through Jesus Christ, it is gift of God for all of us. Maybe when we see all people through God’s eyes, our own scales of justice will shift to God’s gift of grace. Thanks be to God.