Last Sunday/11.22.09/Fort Q/Jude 20-25
· One day at the hockey rink some of the Dads were sitting together and discussing the difficulty in raising their boys.
o One father said:
§ “When you have three young boys in the house it is hard to know who to blame when something goes wrong. They all point their fingers at each other!”
· He then went on to explain how he solves the problem:
o "I just send all three to bed without letting them watch television. In the morning, I just go after the one with the black eye."
§ Sometimes it is hard to know who is to blame for something gone wrong.
· What does it mean to blame someone for something or to be blamed for something?
o According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary to blame someone for something is to attribute responsibility for it or, if you are blamed for something, you are having the responsibility for it attributed to you by someone else.
§ So, if you are blamed for something that has gone wrong then the responsibility for that going wrong is being placed upon you.
· We hate to be blamed for anything.
o We squirm. We sweat. We look down. We feel ashamed.
§ In fact, we will often fight against the blame and try to deflect it way from ourselves and onto someone else.
· Just think of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
o Adam and Eve were both there when the serpent tempted them to eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree.
§ Adam said nothing as he watched his wife break the command of God – he just watched it happen and said not a word.
· Adam and Eve both sinned that day that brought the Fall of man.
o That day sin, death, and despair entered the world.
§ And Adam and Eve were right smack in the middle of it.
· But what happens? Do they own up to it?
o No! They run and hide themselves from God.
§ God comes looking for them – “Adam, where are you?”
· Finally Adam comes crawling out in a pathetic fig leaf trying to cover his nakedness and shame
o What have you done? God asks.
§ And what does Adam say? Does he own up to it, does he confess to God and say that he ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree? No – he tries to deflect the blame.
· “The woman! The woman YOU gave me. SHE gave me the fruit and I ate!”
o And if one looks carefully, not only is Adam trying to deflect and place the blame upon his wife Eve, he is in fact trying to place the blame on God Himself!
§ The woman YOU gave me!
· Then God turns to Eve and asks – what is it you have done?
o And does Eve own up to it? Does she confess to God her sin?
§ No! She tries to deflect the blame and pass it on to the serpent.
· “The serpent deceived me and I ate.”
o Adam and Eve tried to put the blame on everyone else but themselves. Sound familiar?
· Have you ever acted like Adam and Eve and tried to place the blame for something that you have done on someone else?
o Stop. You don’t need to answer that. You have.
§ Here is an example of how we do it all the time.
· “I know I should not have said those hurtful words to you… BUT I was so angry at you for what you did!”
o See how when we talk like that we deflect the blame back on to the person – essentially we are saying it is not my fault that I said those things it is your fault - you made me do it.
§ We evade personal responsibility. We deflect the blame.
· “I know I should not have stolen from the government by cheating on my taxes – BUT they shouldn’t have such high taxes anyway!”
· “I know I should not have taken the Lord’s name in vain – BUT you just made me so angry!”
· On and on it goes in our lives – we deflect the blame, we evade responsibility.
o “But, but, but” we say.
§ We try and hide our sin behind a flimsy fig leaf
· We try and pass on the blame.
· Dear Christian, it is time to kick “but” out of your life!
o When we are confronted with our sin it can be a most difficult thing to look in that mirror
§ It chops at our pride - It kicks at our self righteousness
· That desire to stand up and deflect the blame away from ourselves and onto someone else is a result of pride
o We want to save face, we don’t want anyone else to know that we are sinners
§ But let me save you some trouble here, dear friends
· You are a sinner. A damnable sinner. Everyone here knows it. I know it. You know it. The person sitting beside you, in front of you, and behind you knows it.
o You confessed it in the beginning of the Service.
· As a Christian you need not try to deflect the blame onto someone else.
o As a Christian you are called to repent.
§ You are called to own up to your sin.
· You are called to take responsibility.
o Turn now to p.254 in the hymnals…
· There in the Service of Compline, which we pray each Wednesday evening after Bible study, is what I am talking about
o You see that first the leader of the Service makes confession and then those gathered make confession. The confessions reads:
§ “I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault; wherefore I pray God Almighty to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen.”
· There is no evading responsibility there!
o There is no deflecting the blame.
§ There is no placing the blame on another.
· The ancient practice was that during the confession when the penitent spoke the words: “by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault” the person would strike his breast three times – just to drive home the reality of the confession.
o I have sinned. It is not someone else’ fault, it is my fault.
§ I take responsibility for my sin. I take the blame.
· You stand before God the Father with the blame for your sin squarely resting upon your shoulders
o The sins which you have committed against God’s holy Law
o The sins which you have committed against those around you – your family, friends, neighbours – all the people whom your Lord calls you to love
§ The blame is placed no where else but upon you.
· The righteous anger of God has been kindled and you deserve nothing but to have the wrath of God poured out upon you.
o Is it not true?
§ Where else should the blame be placed?
· When you are entirely honest you know it is your fault, your fault, your own most grievous fault.
o The blame rests upon you.
· Or does it?
o I pray it is not so.
§ It need not be.
· For some it will be so… those who wish to stand before God in the flimsy fig leaves of their own self righteousness and good works
o For those who wish to stand before God on their own in their self deluded fantasy of being “good enough” they will find the weight of their sin too much to bear
§ They will be measured against perfection and will be found wanting.
· The wrath of God will be poured out upon them
o They will be blamed for their sin and they will be damned to hell.
· But for you who are in Christ, it is not so.
o For you who are in Christ, there is no wrath, for the wrath of God was poured out upon Christ on the Cross
§ The blame for your sin was placed upon Jesus
· Jesus, in His great mercy and love for you, took the blame, He was held responsible for your sin
o Jesus willingly became your “scape-goat.”
§ Jesus became the once and for all sacrifice of the Day of Atonement.
· Jesus took the blame for the whole world’s sin.
o Jesus took the blame for your sin.
§ Look to the cross and there see Jesus – there He is blamed for your sin
· And because He has done so you are presented:
o “blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.”
§ You, who are in Christ, are blameless.
· It is His gift to you.
o It is His sacrifice of love that He has done for your sake.
§ He loved you and gave His life for you so that you might be presented blameless to the Father.
· So you have no need of trying to blame others and evading responsibility for your sin – you can own up to it, confess it… and in faith seek the Lord’s forgiveness which He has already promised you.
o When you were baptized your sin was washed away – the blame was taken away
§ The promise your Lord made to you on that day is still true today – washed in the blood of Jesus you are blameless.
· When you come to Divine Service and confess your sins, in the Holy Absolution spoken by Christ through the pastor you are declared blameless
o Jesus’ words accomplish what they say
§ As we will sing in the great hymn “Thy Strong Word” later – Jesus’ words “bespeak you righteous”
· When He says your sins are forgiven, they are!
o And when your sins are forgiven, there can be no blame.
· “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy…”
o While we continue living this life of faith on earth, we do not do so alone
§ While we struggle with sin, sadness, trials, and death our Lord promises to be with us strengthening us in our faith and trust in Him
· A faith that does not seek to place the blame of our sin elsewhere but takes comfort in the forgiveness of that sin for the sake of Jesus
o Jesus strengthens us in that faith as we hear His Word, as we receive His gifts of forgiveness
§ And even this morning as He comes to us in His most Holy Body and Blood in Holy Communion
· There your sin is forgiven, the blame removed, your faith strengthened
· Be sure to take your bulletin home this week (each week please!) and hang it on the fridge or somewhere else prominent in your home and allow it to remind you of this great truth and promise of Jesus
o Leave here this morning, beloved of the Lord, with that knowledge and with those words ringing in your ears
§ That you are blameless before God for the sake of Jesus.
· Live in that peace and joy as we look forward to the last day when Jesus returns in glory and you will be presented blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy…”
· Let us pray:
o “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
