The Broken Fence
One spring morning a man discovered that the white picket fence behind his house had fallen over in the night.
His first instinct was to blame last winter’s storms, the neighbor’s leaning tree, even the builder who had put the fence up years earlier.
But as he inspected it more closely, the truth stared back at him: the corner post had been rotting for a long time, and he had walked past it every week without lifting a finger.
The wind simply revealed what neglect had already allowed.
How often are we like that?
We say, “The storms did it. My parents did it. The culture did it.”
But the deeper truth is that today’s choices decide whether tomorrow stands or falls.
Blaming is easy. Owning responsibility is hard.
And that’s exactly what the people of Israel were doing in Ezekiel’s day.
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The Sour Grapes Lie
In their exile, the Israelites repeated an old proverb to explain their misery:
> “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” (Ezekiel 18:2)
It’s a poetic way of saying, We suffer because our parents sinned. We’re paying their bill.
That thinking had roots in earlier Scripture. The book of Deuteronomy warned that God would visit the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. Over time, people turned that into fatalism: The past controls the present; we are doomed to repeat it.
Sound familiar?
We might not quote that proverb, but we echo it when we say:
“My parents divorced, so I’ll never trust anyone.”
“I grew up poor, so I can’t break free from scarcity.”
“This neighborhood, this economy, this politics—it’s just the way it is.”
But God calls that thinking what it is: a lie.
The sour grapes lie.
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Ezekiel’s Liberating Word
Into that hopeless atmosphere, God spoke through Ezekiel:
> “As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine… the soul who sins shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:3–4)
God wasn’t contradicting Himself; He was clarifying His heart.
Yes, the past can shape us, but it cannot chain us.
Ezekiel’s message is as clear as a sunrise:
The past may explain you, but it does not excuse you.
You are responsible before God for the choices you make today.
Imagine someone pouring out their life story to Ezekiel:
“Prophet, you don’t know what kind of home I came from. My parents failed me. My childhood was a mess. And now I’m a wreck of an adult.”
Ezekiel might nod compassionately—and then answer,
“So you had lousy parents, a deprived childhood, and a mixed-up life. Now what are you going to do with it?”
The past may explain you, but it doesn’t excuse you.
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From Fence Post to Heart Post
Think again of that broken fence.
The storms exposed a weakness the homeowner ignored.
It wasn’t the storm’s fault; the post was already rotten.
Our lives work the same way.
Storms come—loss, temptation, betrayal.
But the question is not who caused the storm; the question is whether our hearts are anchored in obedience and trust.
You are not responsible for the weather of life,
but you are responsible for what you do with the life God has given you.
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Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem
Fast-forward six centuries.
Jesus walks the dusty road toward Jerusalem.
From a hilltop He sees the temple gleaming in the sun.
He knows what will soon happen to this city—rejection of His love, eventual destruction by Rome—and He weeps.
> “Jerusalem, Jerusalem… how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34)
Do you hear it?
“You were not willing.”
Not “You were doomed,” not “You were destined,” but you chose otherwise.
The people of Jerusalem were repeating their ancestors’ rebellion, but not because of some mysterious curse.
They chose to keep the pattern alive.
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Today’s Choices Shape Tomorrow
This is the heart of the gospel call:
The future is not sealed by your parents’ mistakes, your past wounds, or yesterday’s failures.
Paul echoes it in Romans 14:12:
> “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Life is not tragic because things are stacked against you.
Life is tragic only if you refuse to choose God’s open future.
Maybe you’ve told yourself, There’s no way out. I am what my upbringing made me. The damage is done.
Not so.
God promises a way of escape, a new creation.
The prophet’s voice and the Savior’s tears agree:
You can start again.
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Practical Steps Toward Freedom
How do you live this out?
1. Name the blame.
Quietly admit where you’ve been pointing the finger—at parents, ex-spouses, bosses, even at God.
2. Accept the past.
Acceptance is not approval. It’s saying, “This happened. These were my parents. This is my history. And I release it to God.”
3. Choose today.
Build a new post. Repair the fence. Obey what God has already shown you.
Remember: The past may explain you, but it doesn’t excuse you.
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A Final Picture
Picture again that backyard.
The homeowner replaces the rotten post, sets it deep in fresh concrete, and repaints the whole fence.
When the next storm comes, it stands firm.
God wants to do that with your life.
He wants to set new posts of forgiveness, new beams of faith, new gates of hope.
The wind will still blow, but the structure will hold—because this time you chose to build with Him.
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Closing Appeal
Don’t spend another year living the sour grapes lie.
Don’t let the proverb run your life.
Jesus Christ stands ready to redeem your past and secure your future.
Will you let Him?
Will you trust Him enough to start fresh, today?
