The Devil Made Me Do It

Homily for Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

The proverb that we hear from the Prophet Ezekiel in today’s first reading was invoked by people who wished to place the blame for their misdeeds upon their ancestors. They were the way they were because of those who had come before them. In a way, we could actually hark back to God’s self- revelation before Moses on Mount Sinai. In a famous scene from the Book of Exodus, God speaks to Moses, saying: “The LORD, the LORD, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity, continuing his love for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but bringing punishment for their parents’ wickedness on children and children’s children to the third and fourth generation!”

One of the biggest contradictions to be found in the Hebrew Scriptures is between this statement and the oracle that we read today from the Prophet Ezekiel, who says: “As I live, says the Lord GOD: I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat this proverb in Israel. For all lives are mine; the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die.” In other words, no one can blame their bad behavior upon the wickedness of their ancestors. We are all responsible for the sins that we commit.

The psalm that is chosen for our response to this reading is the great penitential psalm of King David who exemplifies someone who accepts responsibility for the evil things that he has done. We know that this psalm was written in response to the accusations made by the Prophet Nathan regarding David’s adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite. In that psalm David prays: “A clean heart create for me, O God; and a steadfast spirit renew within me.” It is interesting to note that the Hebrew verb “barach” can only be used when God is the subject of the sentence. Only God can create a new heart for King David.

In the Gospel reading today, we hear Jesus explain that the Kingdom of God belongs to people such as the children who are brought to him today for a blessing. God’s Kingdom belongs to the childlike, the innocent, the pure of heart. If belongs to those who know that “the best” is the freedom and truth the Lord offers, not material goods and possessions on earth. As those parents led their children to Jesus, so Jesus leads us to the Father.

Though I have not heard anyone lately saying that their ancestors are to blame for their sins, we all like to find excuses for our behavior. As I was preparing this homily, I could not help but remember a comedian by the name of Flip Wilson who portrayed a character named Geraldine Jones who always excused herself by saying, “The devil made me do it.”