Equality has been something that has been an issue in our society for decades. The question is though, what is equality? Does it mean that everyone is treated or viewed exactly the same? Is it everybody has equal financials? Is it everybody looking the same? You see, equality, in and of itself spans a wide gulf where the lines are somewhat blurred. Parents that have more than one child understand the concept of equality in a different light than that of those crying out for equality in society. Before anybody gets up in arms. Let me explain. I will use my two sons as an example. Both boys are intelligent yet, the older son had to work harder in school in order to get decent grades and he didn’t test well. The younger boy got straight A’s in seemingly effortless fashion. Was it fair to expect our older son to get the same grades as our younger son when the older one had difficulty in school? Should we have made our younger son “dumb it down” as to not make his brother feel bad? You see, equality can be tricky.
Equality in society is just as difficult. In every culture there is an implied normal and accepted form of behavior. When somebody goes against the norm and gets treated differently, they cry inequality. It stands to reason if you want to act differently within your society, you will be treated differently.
Our nation has attempted to become so inclusive that we live in a society that believes “anything goes!” We have people who believe that freedom means no laws. In reality, no laws is not freedom, it’s anarchy. There will be no equality because only the strongest and meanest will survive. The problem with the “anything goes” theory is that nothing is off-limits. Morals and values become so diluted, and the very fiber of society begins to unravel. In order for a society to survive and thrive, there must be absolute rights and wrongs.
In biblical times, there was no middle class. There were the rich and the poor. You were either Jew or Gentile (There were Samaritans that were a result of Jews and Gentiles inter-marrying, however neither the Jews nor the Gentiles accepted them. Talk about inequality!).
The Bible deals with equality both directly and indirectly. First, we are told that everybody has gifts given to them by God. Not everybody has the same gift (see I Corinthians 12:12ff). Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 25 of a master going on a journey entrusting some talents (money) to three different servants. Each servant received a different amount of talents “according to his ability.” The first two servants double the money of their master while the third buried his. In the end, the first two servants were invited to share in their master’s happiness. The third servant was cast out into outer darkness. So the question is was it fair to reward the first two servants and not the third when none of the three lost any of the master’s money? The underlying lesson is that God does not expect more from us than He gives us. The ultimate lesson is, God expects us to use what He has given us. If we “bury our talents,” we should not expect equal treatment with those who use their talents.
We are all equal in the eyes of God. That does not mean we all have the same talent or skills. It does not mean our blessings are all the same. What it means is that we all are worth the same amount in the eyes of God. To redeem our souls, God sent Jesus who shed His blood for us on the cross. It doesn’t matter what sins we may have committed, whether they are what we consider big or small, they all separate us from God. The blood of Jesus forgives all the sins and reconciles us to God. We are all equal in the fact. Everybody has the opportunity to accept the grace of God given through the blood of Jesus. Everyone can choose to be immersed in the waters of baptism and be washed clean of their sins. That is the only true equality.
Read Romans 3:21-26