Study Guide by Sheila Walsh

Author:Sheila Walsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian Living;REL012130;REL012120;REL012070
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2021-08-17T00:00:00+00:00

Who Is to Blame?

Humans naturally want to make sense of life. We like explanations, especially explanations we can understand. People are incessant pattern-observers, mystery-solvers, blame-placers. This is not just a modern trait; ancient humans displayed these same tendencies. A notable example is found in John 9, as Jesus ministered in Jerusalem.

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” (vv. 1–2)

Who’s to blame, Jesus? Whose fault is this? Who sinned, that this man received the sentence of blindness since birth?

I find it interesting that this question came not from the people we might see as the New Testament “bad guys” but from Jesus’s own disciples. These are believers, people who walked with Jesus and—at least we might assume—would know more about His ways than anyone else. The disciples wanted to know who they could blame.

What about you? Have you ever been tempted to look at a situation and evaluate who is to blame? Have “Well, if he hadn’t . . .” or “Maybe if she had . . .” thoughts crossed your mind? Talk to God about this and, where needed, ask for His forgiveness.

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