The largest group of “Arbiters of Truth” on earth are our mothers. If they had a dollar for every time they were accused of being “unfair” by their feuding children, they would probably want for nothing. But despite the tendency of one child to want more than his siblings on any given day, everyone has to agree that the average child does have a good grasp on what is fair.
Of course, problems multiply when actual favouritism pervades the home, classroom, and playground. Children who grow up in environments where one person or group is deliberately (unfairly) favoured over another they are likely to distrust authority to one degree or another.
When we allow a spirit of partiality to exist in our churches, we automatically undermine spiritual and numerical growth for decades to come. It is a sin that has to be weeded out before it takes root.
When the mother of James and John offered up her sons for top leadership positions, Jesus told his disciples that those wanting to find the favour of God are those seeking to be servants, not masters (Matthew 20:20-28). Believe me, no one clambering to be amongst the “in group” in town hangs out in the servants’ quarters.
The most corrupt countries on earth are full of nepotism. And unsurprisingly, the crimes of the offspring of the rich go unnoticed, while the crimes of the poor are brutally punished. These societies do not necessarily begin this way, but when enough citizens want to feel a part of that elite group, their moral code is compromised, and “fairness” is no more!
“Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11).
John Staiger