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Thursday, September 02, 2004
Yesterday (see below), we took a look at the "younger" brother in the parable commonly known as the Prodigal Son. After he told his father that he wished he was dead and took his father's money...
Take a look at verses 13--19. Times were good. He was young. He had money. He was out on his own...able to do what he wanted when he wanted. And he did what he wanted. My translation of the Bible says he squandered his money on "loose living." I don't know exactly what was involved in "loose" but I'm pretty sure we all have an accurate picture.
Well, times changed. Economy was bad. He ran out of money. He wasn't able to do what he wanted. Now he had to survive. He got a job...the lowest of all possible jobs for a Jewish young man: Working with pigs. In the slop. Actually thinking that what he was feeding them might be good to eat. Can you imagine?
Notice what happens in verse 17: He came to his senses. His brain engaged. He figured out that even the farmhands on his father's ranch had it better than he did. He determined that he would go home.
And tell his father that he sinned. Against heaven. Against his dad. The order is important, I believe (more on that tomorrow).
See, the son had bought into the lies of the world. He believed the beer commercials were true. He found out that sin has consequences...eternal and in the here-and-now. The beer commercials all end too early. You know, where they end with scantily clad beautiful people having the time of their life? If you followed that beer commercial three hours later you might find a DUI...or all sorts of fallout from "loose living." You get the idea.
I know. It's only a story. A parable.
But it rings true.
So, today...spend some time thinking about what you might do if you had plenty of money and plenty of time and no parental oversight. What do you think your life would be like, and what does that reveal about human nature? Your own heart?
And today's journal prompt (for those of you that keep such things): Think of a time you were involved in some type of "loose living." What caused you to come to your senses? What changes did you make and what "action" steps did you take to make those changes?
More on the Prodigal Son tomorrow.
Brent 4:08 AM
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