- Then he said, "A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. (Luke 15: 11-16)
That's what this poor soul essentially tells his father at the start of this parable.
I wish you were dead.
Give me my share of your inheritance and let me do whatever I want with it.
I wish you were dead.
I will take all that you have given me and leave to a far away land. Far away from you and far away from your control over me.
I wish you were dead.
I will take the talents you gave me and waste them--on things that I want to spend them on.
You can't tell me what to do...for You are dead to me!
And then disaster strikes and this life of licentiousness leads to a life of serving pigs! (Rember...Jews don't think too highly of pigs) and then I long to be a pig...to live like them and eat like them. And I'm not even worthy enough to do that!
This is what a life of lawlessness leads to. This is what a life without God is like. We see it in our society now and it is evident in our media, in our schools and in our governments.
All of us start out as part of God's family. All of us have unique gifts and talents that God graciously bestowed on us.
Let's use them wisely--for the greater glory of God-- and not waste them--or else we'll end up wanting to live like pigs.
2 comments:
great work on this parable.
It is one I love.
I hadn't heard it quite explained this way before but it really jumps out now. Admittedly my focus was usually on the end of the parable where I assume 'part 2' will go.
I essence the son, as well as saying "I wish you were dead." is also crying out "I want all the benifits of being your child, but none of the responcibility, none of the obligation."
In effect this is what perversions of Calvinism get at. Since the Elect will be saved regardles of their actions, one might believe that they can get all the benifits of being a child of God, ie. salvation. but have none of the responcibility and live a life serving only themselves.
This is a perversion of Calvinism and as such I don't know too many who actually hold this view.
A close friend of mine does not want anything to do with God because she has had people share this type of doctorine with her. She can't see how it is fair that they can live ungodly lives and still profess to be saved while so many live 'good' lives and not be forgiven.
Grace is not based on fairness but her opinion of Christianity has been tainted by these 'Christians' who do not live like salt.
Dennis,
I enjoyed your post. It's interesting that in v. 1-2 of ch. 15 Luke tells why Jesus told these parables.
1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
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