Links for today’s readings:

Read: Ezekiel 18 Listen: (5:26)

Read: Colossians 1 Listen: (4:18)

This Weekend’s readings:

Read: Ezekiel 19 Listen: (2:12), Read: Colossians 2 Listen: (3:27)

Read: Ezekiel 20 Listen: (9:25), Read: Colossians 3 Listen: (3:09)

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 18.2-3, 19-23

2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,

and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.

19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. 21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. 22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

Reflection: Blame Less and be Blameless

By John Tillman

Ezekiel’s generation of exiles blamed the generations before. Haven’t we all? Generational finger-pointing is common.

Their complaint reminds me of the opening line of Mike + The Mechanics’ 1988 mega-hit, “The Living Years,” “Every generation blames the one before. And all of their frustrations come beating at your door.”

The exiles beat on God’s door, quoting an “old song”: “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” This saying or “proverb” is in scripture twice but is not “scripture.” In both places it appears, in Ezekiel 18.1-3 and in Jeremiah 31.29-30, it is quoted to be refuted.

In refuting the proverb, God does not deny the grim realities and results of parents’ sins or how this affects children. God also rebuked those quoting the proverb. Ezekiel’s generation was deflecting blame and denying responsibility, and God was having none of it.

The quote has some truth to it. The old covenant explicitly stated that God would punish younger generations for their parents’ sins, but promised a longer generational blessing for righteousness than a curse for wickedness. (Exodus 20.4-6)

Parents can harm their children with what they do or what they believe. Generational curses were a common religious belief in the ancient Near East and many other cultures. Today we have a secular belief in generational curses such as poverty, violence, addictions, lack of education, and physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.

Instead of denying that one generation’s failures can harm another, God was and is saying, “My way will be different. This is not how I will deal with you.” God promises, and delivers, a new covenant in which every generational curse can be broken.

There is no generation completely free of blame. We benefit from and perpetuate the sins of our parents and pass on sins and errors to the next generation.  God says, “Stop blaming your parents and deal with me honestly.”

Don’t curse a generation before you for their failings or curse a generation following you with yours. The only son who ever rejected all the sins of the generations before, is Jesus, the sinless son. (Ezekiel 18.14-17) Each generation, and each individual, stands or falls by how we deal with Jesus.

Jesus, the blameless son, suffered the blame and sin of all generations to make us blameless and free us from sins’ curse. Blame less and rely on the blameless one, Jesus.

Read more about A Generational Lament

“Every generation blames the one before…” Old and young scoff at each other’s sufferings, separating into camps of division and bias.

Read more about Sinless Descendants

God’s description of the righteous son is not a case study of an actual person. Such a son, who rejects the sins of previous generations did not exist…