Word@Work Luke244 - Luke 15:13-16
Published: Mon, 11/29/10
Word@Work from BeaconLight
SIN SPOILS
Luke 15:13-16 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no-one gave him anything." (NIV)
The younger son had left home. Taking his inheritance money, he believed he could create a better life for himself away from his father. Alas, he had no long term plan and the money drained away quickly as he indulged himself in pleasure. In Jesus' story, the next scene is a stark contrast to the image of wild sensual city life: the boy had lost everything and was suffering badly because he had no reserves and no one to help. So he had to get a job, and the only one he could get was feeding pigs.
For Jews, pigs were unclean animals which contaminated anybody who touched them. So the story would have sent a shiver down the spines of the religious leaders listening to Jesus; it would certainly have captured their attention, especially when they were told that the lad was so hungry that he even wanted to eat the pig food. The picture was obvious: the young man was destitute, alone, hungry and frightened, with no future - all because he arrogantly thought he knew better than his father. It was a classic description of personal rebellion against God, which the Bible calls 'sin'. And Jesus was emphasising that sin is not just covert fun but it always has sad and destructive rewards (Romans 3:23a).
Although Father God longs to care for everybody He has made, sinners believe that they can do better without Him. It is a devil-inspired lie, but one which seduces many onto a road of ruin. As they go, they waste the resources, which ultimately come from the Father, until they have no personal reserves left. The horizon of a self-made life is just an illusion which turns into a lonely nightmare. That is the inevitable consequence of abandoning God's kindness and rejecting Jesus the Saviour. Of course not all suffer like that in this life - some sinners are more successful than others - but the Bible's description of hell to come is far worse. That is why every true believer should long that their friends and colleagues are saved from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Prayer: Holy God. Thank You for Jesus' reminder that life is not a game of pleasure but has serious consequences. This picture of where sin leads should make me want to reject every devilish lie which seduces me away from Your love. Please forgive me when I have agreed with the lie and have misused Your resources on my own pleasure. Thank You for the lessons You have taught me along the way; help me to choose to abandon wrong paths and to have a healthy fear of going away from You. Please give me compassion for those around me who are insisting that their way is better than Yours: I am willing for You to use me to minister truth into their lives. Help me to be sensitive to Your voice. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
The younger son had left home. Taking his inheritance money, he believed he could create a better life for himself away from his father. Alas, he had no long term plan and the money drained away quickly as he indulged himself in pleasure. In Jesus' story, the next scene is a stark contrast to the image of wild sensual city life: the boy had lost everything and was suffering badly because he had no reserves and no one to help. So he had to get a job, and the only one he could get was feeding pigs.
For Jews, pigs were unclean animals which contaminated anybody who touched them. So the story would have sent a shiver down the spines of the religious leaders listening to Jesus; it would certainly have captured their attention, especially when they were told that the lad was so hungry that he even wanted to eat the pig food. The picture was obvious: the young man was destitute, alone, hungry and frightened, with no future - all because he arrogantly thought he knew better than his father. It was a classic description of personal rebellion against God, which the Bible calls 'sin'. And Jesus was emphasising that sin is not just covert fun but it always has sad and destructive rewards (Romans 3:23a).
Although Father God longs to care for everybody He has made, sinners believe that they can do better without Him. It is a devil-inspired lie, but one which seduces many onto a road of ruin. As they go, they waste the resources, which ultimately come from the Father, until they have no personal reserves left. The horizon of a self-made life is just an illusion which turns into a lonely nightmare. That is the inevitable consequence of abandoning God's kindness and rejecting Jesus the Saviour. Of course not all suffer like that in this life - some sinners are more successful than others - but the Bible's description of hell to come is far worse. That is why every true believer should long that their friends and colleagues are saved from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).
Prayer: Holy God. Thank You for Jesus' reminder that life is not a game of pleasure but has serious consequences. This picture of where sin leads should make me want to reject every devilish lie which seduces me away from Your love. Please forgive me when I have agreed with the lie and have misused Your resources on my own pleasure. Thank You for the lessons You have taught me along the way; help me to choose to abandon wrong paths and to have a healthy fear of going away from You. Please give me compassion for those around me who are insisting that their way is better than Yours: I am willing for You to use me to minister truth into their lives. Help me to be sensitive to Your voice. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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