IT WASN'T ME!

 It does not take long for us to learn to look for someone to blame when we mess up.  We learn that lesson early in life, by suffering the consequences of those messes we make.  At times I think the strongest muscle in our body is the pointing finger.  We do PLENTY of pointing in life.  How easy it is to look for someone else to blame.  It is a form of distraction from the truth.  We cannot stand the heat when we have started the fire and in an attempt to get out of the spotlight of blame we point the finger at someone else.  We might have been guilty of whatever happened, BUT someone else gave us the idea or told us to do it.  How many times did I hear my teens say, "Everyone was doing it".  My standard retort, "I am not in charge of everyone---only you.".  Learned or human nature---we all try to shift the weight of our wrong onto the shoulders of ANYONE but ourselves.

In the Old Testament book of Leviticus we find this~

"And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place

and the tent of meeting and the alter,

he shall present the live goat.

And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat,

and confess over it all the iniquities of Israel,

and all their transgressions and all their sins.

And he shall put them on the head of the goat

and send it away into the wilderness

by the hand of a man who is in readiness.

The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area,

and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness."

Leviticus 16:20-22

The first scapegoat was explained as one that bears the blame for others. The totally innocent goat was cast out.   In most cases, when we name a scapegoat for our wrongs, they quickly deny wrong and refuse to bear the punishment.  Not so with Christ----the Ultimate Scapegoat---who bore the blame for our sin--without protest---not one word.  Think about this next time you are trying to blame someone else for what you have done.  It is humbling to say the least.