The Blame Game: Expulsion

Armodoxy for Today: The Blame Game

In his 1970’s TV variety show, Comedian Flip Wilson developed a character named Geraldine Jones, a sassy and liberated Southern woman who, when caught doing something naughty would respond, “The devil made me do it.” In behavior that would be considered tame by today’s standards, those words would be her excuse and would trigger thunderous roars of laughter, and serval blushed faces among parents watching the weekly family show with their kids.

Even farther back in time, the Bible references God catching Adam and Eve in disobedience to his law. The “naughty” moment for them (Genesis chapter 1-3) is when they come to realize that they are naked in the Garden of Eden because their act of disobedience opened their eyes. Genesis chapter 3 reads Adam conversing with God, “I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”  The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

And the rest is history. What is called “The Fall” follows. God outlines the expulsion of man and woman from paradise in the verses that follow.

“The Devil made me do it!” It was convenient escape clause for the first man and woman as it was for the comedian entertaining on his variety show. And it can elicit the same type of laughter.

Faith is not to entertain us. It’s not make believe. Playing the blame-game, is an immature way of escaping responsibility. Think of it for a moment, if the devil makes you do something, then you are not accountable for your actions. The Devil made me do it! Blame the devil! Blame the woman! Blame the man!

During the Lenten season we are seeking to mature in Faith, or as St. Paul says, “When I was a child I thought as a child, I spoke as a child, I reasoned as a child. But when I became an adult, I put away childish ways.” (I Corinthians 13)

Expulsion Sunday is a call for us to take responsibility for our actions and our deeds. In other words, no one makes you do it. You do it because you want to do it. We journey deeper into the Expulsion tomorrow.