Have you ever been blamed for what someone else has done, been held responsible for what your parents were like, or your grown children’s actions? This can be hurtful, especially if the judgment is coming from a church community. On the other hand, there are people who like to share in the acclaim for one’s parents' good and noble character. Our Old Testament Scripture passage this week comes from the prophet Ezekiel, and he speaks on this topic. Let’s see what lesson the Lord would teach us from his words.
Ezekiel opens his passage with a proverb that was commonly said in his day, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”. The parents have done something, and the children are paying for it. It was common Jewish belief in that day that children would have to pay, have to suffer, for the sins of their parents. Not only would the individual be accountable for their sins, but their offspring would, too, and often for several generations. It wouldn’t matter how good the character of the individual was, if their father or grandfather was a notorious criminal or sinner, then they were also scorned, and sometimes even banned from community worship. They felt it only proper that children should suffer and pay for the sins and mistakes of their parents.
Now, in the time of Ezekiel, there were some who used this as an excuse for their own bad behavior. They were saying that since their ancestors had sinned, they couldn’t be blamed for what was happening to the nation. It wasn’t their sins that brought God’s judgment, it was their ancestor’s fault.
God, through the words of Ezekiel, told the people that this was not so. God does not hold us accountable for what our parents do, nor can we blame them for our own behavior. He will hold accountable the one who sins, and them alone (vs. 4). God plays no favorites with anyone. He holds each individual accountable for their own sins.
As our passage continues, when Ezekiel brought God’s Word to the people, they complained that this wasn’t fair. They didn’t want to hear that if a once good man turned and became a sinner, that his previous goodness wouldn't cover for his now bad behavior. Nor did they want to hear that a one-time bad man could turn and become a righteous one, and his bad behavior would now be forgiven (vs. 25-28). They said that this wasn’t fair. However God rebuked that thinking, saying that this was not His thinking or way (vs. 29). Judgment will be according to each individual’s faith and conduct.
This type of thinking can still unfortunately be found today in some churches today. There are many people today who are thinking and hoping that their parent’s righteousness and faith will carry them on into heaven. Their parents or grandparents might have been strong Christians, and they feel that, no matter their own behavior, their ancestor’s righteousness will spill over onto them. God’s Word here shows that is not the case. Our father could have been the greatest preacher since Paul, but God will not hold that to our credit. Nor will anything our children do count for us. They may become powerful preachers or missionaries, but it is our actions, not theirs, that we must answer for. When we stand before the Lord, He will not ask us about what someone else did, even if they were relatives. He will ask us about what we did.
We also see in some Christians the thinking that one must penalize an individual for the sins and mistakes of their parents or grandparents. There are the whispers when someone comes into church, maybe for the first time, that his mother was a harlot, or her father is the town drunk, holding them forever accountable for their parents. Or maybe someone comes into church and the whispers are that their daughter is a drug addict, or their son committed some unspeakable act. Jesus says that we aren’t to hold someone accountable for the acts of others, whether good or bad.
As we close the passage from Ezekiel, God pleaded with the people then, and pleads with us today, to turn and repent from our sins. God won’t hold anyone answerable for someone else’s actions, but He will hold us accountable for our actions. He does not desire anyone to perish in their sins. God desires that we repent and receive the free gift of eternal life that He offers to us (Romans 6:23; II Peter 3:9). As God says, “Therefore turn and live!”
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