Ezekiel 18: 20 The soul that sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
This is the idea that sticks with me from today's readings. Every person has his or her own choice to make. The sins of the father are not visited on the son. The sins of the son are not visited on the father.
Furthermore, if a person turns away from sinful ways and repents, all is forgiven. If a person had been righteous and turns to sin, it is the sins that are remembered. You get no credit for your formerly godly actions.
Justice is what God is putting forth. Those who choose evil but then turn to good have suffered enough in making that choice. We should not be constantly remembering their past deeds. The child of the biggest sinner gets an even break. And the parent of the big-time sinner is not judged by their child's deeds.
Prayer: Lord, lead me away from the tendency to judge--to put the burden of past actions or actions of a family member onto those I meet. I should accept the current acts of those I meet, and I should celebrate those who are trying to follow You as my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me to see Your people with the kind of love that you see in them.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment