the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate (Genesis 3:12).
In this record of Adam's words, we have history's first blame-shift. Not coincidentally, we also have history's first case of marital strife. Blame-shifting and strife are like Siamese twins; they're inseparable. That's because all sin leads to blame-shifting, which leads to strife. Though we may give blame-shifting other names, like "denial" or "rationalization," it remains what it was in Adam's day—part of the sin cycle. It now enslaves people everywhere. The only remedy is full repentance, which includes taking full responsibility for our actions.
The lie at the root of what is called "Christian anti- Semitism" is the most grievous example of blame-shifting. Central to this form of blame-shifting is the accusation that the Jewish people are singularly responsible for the death of Messiah Yeshua. The fruits of this blame-shift have included darkness in the Church and death to millions. Kefa (Peter) lays the blame for Yeshua's death where it truly belongs—on all of us. "This has come true in this city, since Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Goyim [Gentiles] and the peoples of Israel, all assembled against your holy servant Yeshua" (Acts 4:27). The truth contained in this passage has brought true repentance to many believers in Yeshua. Ultimately, blame-shifting has no place in the discussion of Yeshua's death, because every one of us is to blame.
...face responsibility for my own sin, instead of shifting blame.
MW
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
