From: Ezekiel 18:21-28
The Good Effects of Conversion
[21] But if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed
and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live;
he shall not die. [22] None of the transgressions which he has committed shall
be remembered against him; for the righteousness which he has done he shall
live. [23] Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the LORD God,
and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? [24] But when a righ-
teous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does
the same abominable things that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of
the righteous deeds which he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery
of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, he shall die.
[25] ”Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel:
Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? [26] When a righteous
man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it;
for the iniquity which he has committed he shall die. [27] Again, when a wicked
man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is lawful
and right, he shall save his life. [28] Because he considered and turned away
from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall
not die."
Commentary:
18:21-32. These verses reply to a question that may arise from the doctrine of
personal retribution: If the sinner must live with the consequences of his sins,
what is the purpose of repentance? Ezekiel takes the question very much to
heart, and his reply includes one of the most beautiful summaries of divine
mercy: “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked..., and not rather that
he should turn from his way and live?’ (v. 23; cf. 33:11). It is true that the ex-
planation of divine justice and punishment develops over a long period until
the New Testament is reached; even so, from the very beginning of divine
Revelation, there is never any doubt but that God is always ready to forgive.
Over the centuries, Christian spirituality has written beautiful pages filled to
overflowing with heartfelt trust in God’s mercy. As an example, we will quote
a prayer by a Christian writer of the Armenian Church: “You are the Lord of
Mercy. Have mercy on me, a sinner, who beseeches you with sighs and tears.
[...] O kind and merciful Lord! You are patient with sinners, for you have said:
"if a wicked man turns away from all his sins which he has committed none of
the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him"
(Ezek 18:21-22). Look, see how I have come before you and fallen at your feet:
your guilty servant pleads for your mercy. Do not recall my sins, nor spurn me
because of my wickedness [...] You are the Lord of goodness and mercy; you
forgive all sin” (John Mandakuni, "Oratio", 2-3).
Of course, God’s forgiveness is closely interwoven with personal conversion.
Therefore, it is not surprising to find these verses of Ezekiel being quoted in
connection with the need for the sacrament of penance: “at all times, the prac-
tice of penance in order to obtain grace and attain righteousness was neces-
sary for all those who fell into mortal sin, even those who sought to be washed
clean by the waters of baptism, so that, when sinfulness had been purged and
set to rights, they would detest any offense against God through their hatred
of sin and the sorrow of their souls. Thus says the Prophet: 'Repent and turn
from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin' (Ezek 18:30)” (Council
of Trent, Session 14, 1). There is also a need for genuine contrition: “Contrition,
which is the most important element of penance, is a sorrow of the soul, a
hatred of all the sins that have been committed, and a desire not to sin again
in the future. This sense of contrition has always been a fundamental condition
of forgiveness; the man who falls into sin after his baptism can only receive
pardon if he is contrite, trusts in the mercy of God, and fulfills all the other con-
ditions that are binding in this sacrament. This Council declares that contrition
encompasses not only the end of sin and the beginning of new life, but the
reparation of the old, sinful life, as it was written: 'Cast away from you all the
transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a
new heart and a new spirit!' (Ezek 18:31)” (Council of Trent Session 14,4).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.