NO BLAME CULTURE
Opening Prayer
Speak to me now, Jesus; change me.
Read Luke 13:1–9
Repent or Perish
13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Do you ever find yourself trying to pass the blame?We have a knack of blaming others or looking for simple causes to complex problems. Sometimes, justice demands that we identify the people responsible although this isn’t always possible. At our worst we end up blaming the victims for their fate. This was the case in the immediate aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, where 96 Liverpool fans died during a football game against Nottingham Forest. As thousands of fans poured into already overcrowded spaces, with no means of exit, the game was abandoned to tend to the dead and dying. A lie circulated that drunk fans were responsible. This was published in the national media and believed for a long time afterwards. The lie was later exposed and the spotlight fell on the public authorities for their negligence.
In today’s reading, reference is made to two manmade disasters on the basis that the dead must have been more sinful than others. Jesus won’t have any of it. God looks at what is going on in the heart, and in the face of the crisis about to happen in Jerusalem, repentance is the only response required from anyone and everyone.
Apply
Do you take responsibility for your own actions? Do you pride yourself on being “better” that someone else? Ask God to show you your own heart today.
Closing prayer
God, I am sorry that I don’t always see my own faults and am quick to pass judgment on others. Show me how to walk humbly
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