Two employees arrive late to work. In response to the boss’s questions, the first employee says, “Sorry. I’m late. I should have left my house sooner.” The second employee says, “Traffic was terrible, and they took forever at Starbucks.”

Two students show up to class without their homework. In response to the teacher’s inquiries, the first student says, “I shouldn’t have watched television last night.” The second student says, “You give us more homework that the other teachers.”

Two athletes play in the Super Bowl, but play poorly. In response to the coach’s frustration, the first athlete says, “I failed to study the playbook.” The second athlete says, “If my teammates had done their jobs better, I could have done mine better.”

What is the difference between an explanation and an excuse? An explanation accepts responsibility; an excuse avoids responsibility. An explanation knows the consequences are deserved; an excuse argues that there shouldn’t be any consequences. An explanation accepts blame; an excuse blames someone else.

“Master, I knew you to be a hard man, so I hid the talent you gave me in the ground.” That story from the gospels is more than a cautionary tale against making excuses. It is a flat-out warning to avoid making excuses. “Cast this worthless servant into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It is a sad tendency of the human heart to assume that we offer explanations while everyone else makes excuses. The truth is, however, that we all do it.

Those who think they take full responsibility for themselves and are “too good” to make excuses have somehow escaped the fallen human nature that Adam and Eve passed on to the rest of us. One of the purposes to the Genesis story is to reveal to us what human nature is really like; fallen human nature, too. After his disobedience in the garden of Eden, whom did Adam blame? Eve. Genesis 3:12: “That woman you gave me, she gave me the fruit of the tree.” After her disobedience in the garden, what did Eve blame? The serpent. Genesis 3:13: “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” And here I am, thousands of years later, blaming Adam and Eve for my tendency to make excuses for my sins instead of taking full responsibility for them. Fr. John 1:1: “It’s all Adam and Eve’s fault.”

Well, here’s something else the Genesis story reveals to us. The thing that matters most in this life is growing into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important than salvation. What benefit is it to us if we face the judgment seat able to diagram sentences but have no repentance, able to figure equations but have no mercy, able to code a computer but have no virtue, able to quote Scripture but have no humility, able to deliver a podcast but have no holiness? Growing into the likeness of Jesus Christ matters most in life because when each of us faces the coming judgment seat, our likeness of Christ determines our final destiny. The Son of God will look into us and search for evidence of himself. Here’s how the New Testament epistle of 1 John describes the worthy:

We know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we will see him as he is, and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Growing into the likeness of Jesus Christ: that is why God has given your life to you and my life to me. All three of the three servants who appeared in that gospel story appear before the judgment of their master. That is what is meant by the verse, “After a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.” But only two appeared in the master’s likeness. The master had entrusted his property to them. Two servants took their master’s property and returned to him more property. “Well done, good and faithful servants,” the master says. “Enter into the joy of your master.”

But one servant received his master’s property and had nothing to show for it when the master returned. The master was generous; the servant was lazy. The master was trusting; the servant fearful. Like the other two servants, this servant had every opportunity to grow into his master’s likeness, but when the moment of truth came the only thing he offered back was an excuse. “Master, it’s not my fault that I did not take advantage of what you gave me.” That gospel story is more than a cautionary tale against making excuses. It is a flat-out warning to avoid making excuses. “Cast this worthless servant into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

If we are going to be people of the truth, then we need the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And the truth is that holy Scripture speaks of judgment just as it speaks of mercy. It speaks of hell just as it speaks of heaven. It speaks of effort just as it speaks of grace. It speaks of not wasting the time we have been given just as it speaks of it never being too late to repent.

Why work on ridding ourselves of excuses in this life? So that we won’t face the consequences of our excuses in the next. “Master, your Bible was too boring so I didn’t read.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “Your church services were too long so I didn’t go.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “I kept putting off going to confession.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “I never saw the point of fasting.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “I didn’t like the priest. You knew what he was like.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “It was easier to be the servant I wanted to be than the servant you wanted me to be.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “The poor should help themselves.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “It was too much effort to take my children to Sunday school.” That is why I do not see my likeness.

“But what they did was unforgivable.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “The internet was more interesting than the people around me.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “I picked and chose the parts of your Church I liked.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “It was just a little gossip.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “I never thought you would forgive me.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “I was too ashamed to be part of your body.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “I couldn’t leave the past behind.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “It was just easier to give in to despair.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “I didn’t want to bother you.” That is why I do not see my likeness. “I just wanted to live life my way.” That is why I do not see my likeness.

We need to hear about the love of Jesus, about his patience, while we find our way, but to respond rightly to the love of Jesus we must renounce anything and everything that defiles it. That is a big part of what Christian asceticism is about. It is for the purpose of waking us up to what is most important in life. Are we people of the whole truth? Then those words from the book of Hebrews apply to us, too. We must pay closer attention to what we have heard lest we drift away from it. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

Two employees arrive late to work. Two students show up to class without homework. Two athletes play poorly in the big game. Two souls arrive at the great throne of judgment upon which is seated the Son of God. Each one enters the radiance of the blistering Christ, with penetrating eyes that search each soul for his own likeness. The first soul says, “Though a terrible sinner, I took advantage of the opportunities you gave me to grow into your likeness,” but the second soul—O that second soul! “As I live,” says the Lord God, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked should turn from their way and live.”