I got that impression when we heard from the former Post Office investigator answering piercing questions in the enquiry about the hundreds of Sub Post office managers who had been wrongly charged with stealing, and how he’d gone about his inquisitory bullying of them, and why so. He seemed at times to be trying to ’pass the buck’. “The responsibility was with those above me”; “I’m not technically qualified; it’s ‘others’ fault’” type of response.
It happens today when a person doesn’t want to own up and take the blame—wants to ‘get them-selves off the hook’
But the Bible makes clear that that attitude goes right back to the beginning: After Eve and then Adam had eaten of the forbid-den fruit – Genesis 3 The Lord asks Adam in vs 11 “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The ser-pent deceived me, and I ate.”
True, the serpent deceived Eve, but, as a responsible being, she couldn’t pass the buck; and neither could Adam. And it repeats in Exodus ch 32 as the people are waiting for Moses, having gone up the mountain, and get fed up with waiting and persuade Aaron to do something about it. When Moses does come down, he is appalled: 21 He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?” 22 “Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil. 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go be-fore us. … 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” Not my fault. Do what?!
The Times newspaper once sent out an inquiry to famous authors, asking the question, “What’s wrong with the world today?”
The well known writer Gilbert Keith Chesterton responded simply,
“Dear Sir, I am. Yours, G.K. Chesterton.”
The fact remains that we’re all guilty and we each need to be honest before God and own up that we have sinned – I have sinned – and should take the blame – not try to blame it on others. But we find out the most wonderful thing when we turn in repentance to the Lord. He’s taken the blame for us, and it makes us special in God’s eyes.
Graham Kendrick got it right in his children’s song:
I’m special because God has loved me, For He gave the best thing that He had to save me;
His own Son Jesus, crucified to take the blame For all the bad things I have done.
Thank You Jesus, thank You Lord, For loving me so much. I know I don’t deserve anything.
Help me feel Your love right now, To know deep in my heart That I’m Your special friend.
Steve
Elder
February 2024
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