THURSDAY, May 28

Most biblical authors speak of the people as a whole when talking about their relationship to God: all are faithful or none are; all prosper or none do. Everyone, not merely the guilty party, suffers the consequences of sin. This is called the doctrine of "corporate responsibility." Hence the proverb quoted in this text.

The prophet Ezekiel was the first biblical author to emphasize individual responsibility. Only the guilty party will die, said Ezekiel; those associated with the guilty, by birth or happenstance, will not be punished for what someone else did.

There is truth in both these views. Innocent people do suffer--at the hands of corrupt officials, negligent professionals, and abusive parents or spouses, and from war, civil unrest, and laws favoring the well-connected. The responsible parties often appear to bear none of the consequences of their misdeeds. Ezekiel, however, bids us look beyond appearances. There will be a reckoning for every individual, he says. But he adds that there is still time: "Repent and turn from your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin."

PRAY for the Diocese of Kadugli and Nuba Mountains (The Sudan)

Ps 105:1-22 * 105:23-45; Hebrews 7:18-28; Luke 10:25-37

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