"Whose fault is it?” we often ask, when we face a serious problem or a real challenge.
Whose fault is it, indeed, when we have an accident or become ill? Whose fault is it when we feel lonely or depressed, when we have financial problems or are out of work? Life is full of surprises and seemingly unexplainable events that can prompt us to exclaim, “Whose fault is it?”
Adam and Eve
If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit it—we often tend to blame others when we find ourselves in serious difficulties. It is usually someone else’s fault, not our own. This human weakness started with the first couple. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were cast out of the Garden of Eden. But before being expelled, they blamed someone else for their disobedience—and, ultimately, they blamed God, their Creator (Genesis 3:12–13). Their first son, Cain, also sought to justify himself after killing his younger brother Abel (Genesis 4:9).
Human nature has not changed since. Not only do we make excuses, we seek reasons to shift the blame to others. We do not find it difficult to invent explanations to clear ourselves of guilt, rather than admit culpability, because the carnal mind is selfish and egotistic (cf. Romans 8:7). We defend our positions and justify our feelings, which we consider to be more righteous than those of others. Most of us have this propensity.
Complaining about his wife, a man once told me, “She never understands me. She has her own ideas, her own way of doing things.” Most married couples understand those words of self-defense. We all have different personalities—different sensibilities. Yet we must all understand, tolerate and, above all, forgive one another. This is essential to happiness in marriage.
Some people have succeeded financially but, sadly, have failed miserably in their family relationships. Billionaire J. Paul Getty, for example, stated that he would gladly give away all his wealth for just one lasting marital success. Instead, he could have asked himself, “Whose fault is it?”
This haunting question is at the core of our problems. In a way, we often create for ourselves circumstances that prevent us from leading a successful life. We insist on doing things our own way, in spite of the counsel we receive. Afterwards, when trials overtake us, we tend to accuse others instead of examining ourselves.
The Unprofitable Servant
Comparing ourselves to others is not only wrong, it is also misleading. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12). We have all been given different talents and abilities. God has called us to improve ourselves, to grow, to use the very talents He has given us—not to try to “fill the shoes” of another. You might dismiss your talents as “unimportant” and presume that if you had someone else’s talents you would be more successful. But such deduction is deceptive.
In the book of Luke, we read the parable of the ten minas, in which Christ reveals His plan to reward His servants in proportion to their yieldedness to His direction. But does Christ make things “easier” for some and “harder” for others? Not at all! In the book of Matthew, the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30) reveals a fundamental and most encouraging truth that should help us endure our trials and setbacks. Christ explains to us that God is always good and fair, and that He never requires of us more than we are able to give—and that it is His will to see us enter His Kingdom.
In this parable, Christ is pictured as the “man traveling to a far country” (v. 14). He shows us the way to success and to eternal life. He also distributed to us His “goods.” He gave us His talents, “to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability” (v. 15). Notice this short but key phrase: “to each according to his own ability.” Each received according to his own ability, not according to the ability of another. Consequently, if you were someone else and not yourself, God would not require of you what He does. God has His specific plan for working with you.
The servant who received five talents strove to produce a good return (v. 16). We do not read that he was expected to produce 20 or 50 talents—Christ was pleased that he doubled his five. This servant was diligent and worked hard; he appreciated the five talents he had received. He did not compare himself to others, nor did he look for excuses. He produced what he could produce, and he did what was expected of him.
Likewise, the servant who received two talents did his best (v. 17). He did not produce five more talents like the first man; rather, he only gained two. But like the other servant, he doubled what he had been given, as his master expected. His effort was sufficient to please Christ.
Fulfilled Expectations?
The first two servants fulfilled their master’s expectations. When working with their talents, they did not pause to ask themselves, “Whose fault is it?” And notice: Christ gave them the same reward (vv. 21–23). He told them both, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” Do you understand what it means to enter into “the joy of your lord”? It concerns the gift of eternal life. Indeed, the joy of our Lord is the Kingdom of God in which we will enter, you and I, if we do our part, if we produce the fruits that Christ requires of us, if we grow daily in His grace and knowledge.
As for the third servant, who received one talent, he did not produce anything at all. He “went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money” (v. 18). Strange! What was his reasoning? When you examine his attitude, you understand the answer to the question, “Whose fault is it?” He sought arguments to excuse himself, to justify not making any efforts to produce results. This is the case with many people today, even with some in the Church of God. It is the case, too, with those who seek to rationalize their failure to act upon the Truth. They do not even realize that God wants to help them. The excuses they provide for their lack of action are baseless, as the unprofitable servant, who said, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours” (vv. 24–25).
What senseless and unjustifiable reasoning! And yet, if this servant actually believed what he said, he should all the more have driven himself to work hard and produce! He should have rejected his evil thoughts and labored industriously.
If you know the real God and His true love for you, you will never think or reason like this unprofitable servant, even during hard suffering, trials, setbacks or failures. You will never have to ask, “Whose fault is it?” On the other hand, if you have the mindset of an unprofitable servant, the question “Whose fault is it?” will constantly be on your lips. Ultimately, you will hear Christ’s sentence, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (vv. 26–30).
By meditating on this parable, you will come to realize that your success depends on what you do with your talents. It depends on the decisions and efforts you yourself make. It does not depend on comparing yourself to others—but to Christ. If you were in someone else’s shoes, you could not even enter God’s Kingdom. Every time you feel tempted to ask, “Whose fault is it?,” rather say to yourself, “What would Jesus do? What would He have done in my place?” That is what truly matters. So, do not look for excuses—and do not justify yourself!
Israel
God chose ancient Israel to be His people, and He taught them the way to lasting happiness. When they were under slavery in Egypt, they cried out to God for deliverance (Exodus 2:23–25). God answered them and made to them numerous promises of protection, prosperity, abundance and health, if they obeyed His laws. He also warned them against disobedience (Deuteronomy 8:1, 11, 14–17).
Nevertheless, as was the case with Adam and Eve, Israel turned away from God. When Moses delayed his return from the top of the mountain where he met with the One who became Christ, Israel quickly turned to pagan gods (Exodus 32:1–2, 4). The people did not trust God or His word. They did not keep their promise. God had to intervene and tell Moses to descend from the mount to witness the people’s abominations (vv. 7–8). Moses interceded for the Israelites (vv. 31–32). God heard Moses’ intercession and forgave them. He repeated His promises, as well as His warnings to the people. On numerous occasions, He delivered them from their enemies and continually forgave them. God warned the Israelites against the consequences of asking for a king, but they dismissed those warnings (1 Samuel 8:5–7, 11–22). Despite their promises of obedience to God, they turned away from Him, time and again.
Once again, let us consider the question: Whose fault was it if they suffered? Whose fault was it if they turned away from their Creator, and reaped what they sowed? Whose fault is it if their descendants today continue to suffer?
A World Deceived
We live in a world that has been deceived by Satan the devil. We can attest to the effects and consequences of Satan’s influence all around us. However, we understand that Satan cannot do anything without God’s permission or knowledge. Our Creator, as part of His Master Plan, has allowed Satan to “blind” most people in our day. Does that absolve human beings and make it only Satan’s fault? In fact, humanity has willingly drifted away from God—and is now reaping the consequences by choosing Satan’s way instead of God’s. The Apostle Paul wrote: “‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one… Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.…’ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10–18, 23).
Even if some would want to blame Satan instead of self for the sin and problems in our world, we in God’s Church cannot make that excuse for ourselves. We who have had our minds opened to the Truth—who have received the Holy Spirit and have been instructed to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11–17)—should understand our personal responsibility. Is Christ to blame for our suffering? Or are we to blame for His? Whose fault is it?
The fact that human beings are suffering because of sin can be seen by the naked eye. Look around. Reflect on human misery and the atrocities around us. Why our wars and holocausts? Whose fault are they? Once again, the Apostle Paul explains: “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Romans 1:21–22, 26–27).
This is the story of mankind. We are witnesses of the consequences of sin, of our turning away from God, of our rejecting His laws. And being witnesses to all these things, do we still dare ask, “Whose fault is it?”
Puzzlingly, people and nations throughout history have blamed God, directly or indirectly, for their problems and suffering. They blame God, though it is they who bear the responsibility for yielding to Satan’s temptations. Once again, we need to ask ourselves, “Whose fault is it?”
Most human beings today have totally drifted away from God—yet continue to blame Him. Yet we in God’s Church should know the Truth. Why not wake up? Why not open our eyes? Why not stop asking whose fault it is, when the answer is so plainly right before our eyes?
We human beings are to blame, not the Eternal God. We are the ones who should change our way of life, and not expect God to change His commandments that are good and righteous. We should be courageous. We should submit to God at all times. Do this, and you will see how your life will improve! Whatever our present circumstances, remember that God is always good. He will always provide us the way to find the right solution to our difficulties (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13). He gives us the help we need to solve our problems at all times.