JAIL BREAK

     It was a great day, a great day to be fishing. Once again the guys from the church in Pupperville were gathered at the fishing dock at the park having a meeting of the minds while trying to catch some fish. Apparently news had gotten back to Randy by way of Daisy who had talked to April who had been talking to Barney about how church was boring and people were leaving as a result.

     As the guys discussed different ideas on how to keep church from becoming boring, Bill Peterson let out a holler. “I Got a bite!” he yelled. After fighting with it for nearly fifteen minutes, John McDonald finally reached down with the net and hauled him in. As Bill picked him up Robert Grey grabbed a camera and took take a picture of him with the fish.

     As soon as the picture was taken they gathered around the camera to see the pic and that's when they saw him. “Isn't that Bud in the picture?” Tim Henderson asked, “You know, the guy that shot Harold?” “Can't be” Bill said, “He's in jail.” “You're tight though.” Robert said, “It sure looks like him. By the way, Bill. You better get that fish back in the water before the police catch you an put you in jail for having too big of a fish.”

     As Bill slowly set the fish back in the water he heard a loud whistle and looked up to see a police officer running toward him. It was Sergeant Halfway and as he approached, the guys could here him hollering “Jail Break, Jail Break, Bud escaped.” “It was him!” Tim hollered. “We just saw him over that way.” Pointing to a tree.

     “We need to catch him.” Sergeant Halfway said and all the guys but Bill threw down their fishing poles and said “Lets go.” and took off with the Sergeant.” Bill decided to stay behind because he wasn't sure if he could handle coming face to face with Bud but he soon found out for Bud came sneaking around the fishing pure and with his fishing rod in hand, Bill cast it Bud's way and caught him.

     “I didn't do it, I didn't do it.” Bud yelled as Bill reeled him in. “Didn't what?” Bill Snapped at him “Break out of jail or shoot Harold?” “Neither one!” Bud said shaking in fear. “ You’re not going to convince me.” Bill said, “My own daughter saw you shoot Harold.” “No she didn’t.” Bud snapped back, “She only saw me aim the gun and pull the trigger. Someone else shot Harold.”

     “Try again!” Bill said “Nobodies going to believe you. Where did Sergeant Halfway go?” “You can't let them get me.” Bud cried out. “I'm innocent. The devil made me do it. He’s the one they need to put in jail.” As he said those words, he heard the police whistle and tried to get away but it was too late. Bill had reeled him in close enough and dropped the fishing net over him.

     A minute later, Sergeant Halfway hauled cuffed him and hauled him away. “No! I'm innocent” Bud cried out again. “The devil is the one you want.” I' don't think so.” Sergeant Halfway said “And you should be thankful Bill here didn't try to shoot you after what you did to his son.” “Great.” Bud said to himself “I sure picked the wrong person to try and save me.”

     It's not uncommon to find people in the news who do something stupid and then try to blame someone else, Often time they'll even try to blame the victim. Even in Bible times we find those who want to pass the blame. Take for instance...

     Adam & Eve - Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?" "Of course we may eat it," the woman told him. "It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die." "You won't die!" the serpent hissed. "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil." The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves. Toward evening they heard the LORD God walking about in the garden, so they hid themselves among the trees. The LORD God called to Adam, "Where are you?" He replied, "I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked." "Who told you that you were naked?" the LORD God asked. "Have you eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?" "Yes," Adam admitted, "but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it." Then the LORD God asked the woman, "How could you do such a thing?" "The serpent tricked me," she replied. "That's why I ate it." - Genesis 3:1-13 (NLT)

      And what about Aaron - Aaron said to the people, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, sons, and daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.“ So all the people took their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from the people and formed it with a tool and made a statue of a calf. Then the people said, “Israel, these are your gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!“ When Aaron saw all this, he built an altar before the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a special feast to honor the LORD.“ The people got up early the next morning and offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. They sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up and sinned sexually. … When Moses came close to the camp, he saw the gold calf and the dancing, and he became very angry. He threw down the stone tablets that he was carrying and broke them at the bottom of the mountain. Then he took the calf that the people had made and melted it in the fire. He ground it into powder. Then he threw the powder into the water and forced the Israelites to drink it. Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you? Why did you cause them to do such a terrible sin?“ Aaron answered, “Don’t be angry, master. You know that these people are always ready to do wrong. The people said to me, ’Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don’t know what has happened to him. Make us gods who will lead us.’ So I told the people, ’Take off your gold jewelry.’ When they gave me the gold, I threw it into the fire and out came this calf!“ - Exodus 32:2-24 (NCV)

     Even King Saul tried to pass the blame. - Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to appoint you king over Israel. Now listen to his message. This is what the LORD All-Powerful says: ’When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the Amalekites tried to stop them from going to Canaan. So I will punish them. Now go, attack the Amalekites and destroy everything they own as an offering to the LORD. Don’t let anything live. Put to death men and women, children and small babies, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ “ So Saul called the army together at Telaim. There were two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. … Saul and the army let Agag live, along with the best sheep, fat cattle, and lambs. They let every good animal live, because they did not want to destroy them. But when they found an animal that was weak or useless, they killed it. … When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said, “May the LORD bless you! I have obeyed the LORD’S commands. But Samuel said, “Then why do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?“ Saul answered, “The soldiers took them from the Amalekites. They saved the best sheep and cattle to offer as sacrifices to the LORD your God, but we destroyed all the other animals.“ - 1 Samuel 15:1-35 (NCV)

     Here are somethings to remember when it comes to passing the blame

• 2 Chronicles 19:7 Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes." (ESV)
• Colossians 3:25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. (ESV)
• 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (ESV)

     There's more that could be said but I think you can get the point – Adam, Eve, Aaron & Saul all did.

 

     Here's Something To Ponder

• In what ways have you tried to pass blame to someone or something else?
• Why would you want to pass blame when you know God sees all?