This is not to say that the men have no responsibility for their actions. Their very presence in the jail is a constant reminder that they are being held responsible for their offenses and paying the price by doing time.

Today in North America the ideology of free choice and personal responsibility reigns supreme, affecting disproportionately those who lack the resources to pay for a private attorney who can prove their innocence (and thus lack of personal responsibility).

Jesus moves the discussion to a higher level by refusing to affirm the dominant retributive model of justice. Jesus' grace-filled approach looks at calamity not as deserved punishment but as an occasion for life-giving action on behalf of the undeserving.