Christian author and philosopher G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) responded to a newspaper’s invitation for the public to write their own opinions concerning the question, “What’s wrong with the world?” Chesterton’s simple reply: “Dear Sir, I am. Yours sincerely…” It could hardly have been more effective. The root cause lies within each of us, and each of us is individually responsible for the sin that indwells us. This is the theme taken up in Ezekiel 18. Blame-shifting is as old as the Garden of Eden, where Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and the serpent, of course, didn’t have a leg to stand on! We all have a natural tendency to excuse ourselves, playing the role of victim rather than taking responsibility for our own actions. Apparently the exiles in Babylon were blaming their troubles on the errors of previous generations, not anything they themselves had done. They loved to cite a familiar proverb which said, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” Or as the NLT translates, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste” (v 1-2). There is truth in the saying. We all know that children often suffer from their parents’ sins and are themselves prone to repeat what they have seen their parents doing. There are undeniable social consequences for one’s choices. That’s why God declares in the second commandment that He punishes the children for the sin of the father to the third and fourth generation (Exo 20:5). But this judgment presupposes that those later generations continue to hate God. The Jewish exiles were quoting the proverb as a cop-out, as if their fate was sealed and they could do nothing to change the course of their lives. God corrects this misunderstanding by insisting that every person will be held accountable to Him as individuals. “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die” (v 3-4). The principle is applied to three generations (v 5-9, 10-13, 14-18), showing how sons and grandsons can alter a family legacy, for better or worse—but no one gets to heaven on the shirttails of an ancestor, and no one is condemned to hell for anyone’s sins other than his own. Repentance is always an option, and this is the choice that brings delight to the heart of God (v 19-32). We’re not saved by living good lives. But transformation, however imperfect, always occurs in the lives of those who are genuinely saved. If that’s missing, no excuses are acceptable to God, no matter how cleverly phrased. For further meditation: