We see people every day who refuse to take responsibility.  Some choose to side step responsibility than meet it head on.  Winston Churchill had a great view of these people during World War II.

“They are decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all-powerful to be impotent.”     ~ Winston Churchill

When we look in Scripture we see a number that side stepped responsibility for their actions.  In Matthew’s inspired account of Christ before Pilate we read:

“Then said Pilate unto Him, Hearest Thou not how many things they witness against Thee?  And He answered him to never a word; inso much that the governor marveled greatly.  Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.  And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.  Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you?  Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?  For he knew that for envy they had delivered Him.  When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just Man:  for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him.  But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.  The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of twain will ye that I release unto you?  They said, Barabbas.  Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?  They all say unto him, Let Him be crucified.  And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done?  But they cried out the more, saying, Let Him be crucified.  When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this Just person:  see ye to it.  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us and on our children.  Then released he Barabbas unto them:  and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.”       Matthew 27:11-26

Pilate could have taken responsibility and not listened to the rabble that wanted Jesus’ life.  He had warnings from his wife not to have anything to do “with that Just Man,” but he ignored her to listen to a blood thirsty rabble.  He could have made a different decision and washing one’s hands will not absolve one from guilt.  He handed Jesus over to the rabble, and where he went we know not.

When we look at the inspired account of Luke regarding the Good Samaritan, we find two more that side stepped responsibility for one that was beaten, robbed, and left for dead.  One was a priest and the other a Levite.  They passed by on the other side when a man was needing help, but they refused to have compassion on the man.  We can see the robbers were not dealt with.  Everyone knows about them, but our Lord focused on those that should have known better and taken the responsibility of their fellow man.  He didn’t ask them to do research to see if the beaten man was worthy of help.  He said:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind:  and thy neighbour as thyself.”

Matthew 10:27

There are many more accounts in Scripture of those who refused to take responsibility.  Let us, when faced with decisions, when truth is challenged, when error is taught, when people are sick…let us step up and take responsibility.  Don’t wait for a more convenient time or someone else to do what we know we should do.

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to Him it is sin.”   James 4:17

“But perhaps an even greater danger than stupidity lies in irresolution and neutrality.  How easily Christ can be crucified by His servants merely by doing nothing!

Eileen Light