The final parable in Luke 15 is the parable of the lost son. Perhaps this is the most popular since its more relatable as human characters are used. The theme of the lost being found which runs through this chapter is maintained even in this parable. They all reveal the fathers heart towards the lost and come with nuggets we can digest.
We are told that the man mentioned in this parable had two sons and the youngest of the sons asked for his share of the property or as the NKJV puts it, the portion of the goods that fall to him. The father probably first shocked by the request then heartbroken, had no option than to give his son what he had requested. If we would examine this critically, there are some nuggets we can pick from this. The son did not wait for the appointed time to receive what was alread his; he could have waited for merely a few more years and enjoyed his fathers company till the father passed on. He however rushed in assuming ownership and responsiblity for the properties especially when he was not yet ready for it. This paints a picture of sin; the devil promises immediately what is already ours and would be given at an appointed time. We buy into his lies and miss God's will.
The father obviously had a plan and will for the life of his son which would have ended much better than the path the son took. He would have surely received the properties and goods when he was ready for it, yet the son had no patience for that imposing his own will and overwriting that of his father and this paints a picture of our relationship with our father in heaven. It’s not the fathers will that we be separated from him, but he won’t superimpose his will on us. We are allowed to make our own decisions as is seen in the case of Adam and Eve, however, the Lord knows what’s best for us and plans our lives accordingly. When we willingly decide to go astray, we hurt ourselves and hurt him as well.
We can’t say for sure whether the son had good plans and intentions for the properties, but one thing is clear, he wasted it. The KJV Bible refers to his way of life as "riotous living" and the NKJV refers to it as "prodigal living or living ruinously". He thought he was going to do great things for himself or perhaps enjoy life, yet only achieved the exact opposite in reality. This is what sin does to everyone, whether they know it or not.
Another point to note is that, he went to a faraway country. This happens all the time when people are lose their way in Christ. You might be like, “Well I don’t think so, I know people who stayed right in the church and yet became with some even going as far as apostacy”. This assertion while may sound right is quite wrong and misses the point. The "far away country" in this context refers to being distant from the presence of the father. When people fall into sin, the first thing they do is to create distance with anything or anyone that reminds them of God. By doing this we can say they “go to a far away country” and this is where the true ruinous living starts. Sinners or the lost usually have this great distance between them and the father. Adam and Eve had to move from the garden because they had sinned; we could say they moved to a far away country. Jesus however came to do away with that so we could return to the father with no barriers; our return may not necessarily the garden of Eden, instead, the presence of God.
After wasting everything he had, he was caught up in a famine which reveals yet another truth to us. The lost might go through a temporary period of bliss but after it comes suffering. If he had been with his father, he would have been protected from it and even if not, it would have been more bearable being with his father. The scripture says that there was famine in "that land", not in all lands, but "that land". Satan may carry us off promising much, but it does not last long, after which comes lack.
He had to pick up work with a citizen of that land who employed him to feed his swine. He had to become friends with a stranger so he could eat. The job he picked involved him taking care of pigs which were considered unclean by his people. In other words, he had been reduced to working in a place and doing things that his father would not want him to do. This is quite evident in the life of the lost. They end up in places doing things that they should not do for the sake of survival. They might associate themselves with strange and unfamiliar people and pick up ideals that they would not naturally agree to.
We are made to understand that he was eager to eat the pods that the swine ate and no one gave him anything. His situation was so bad that he was willing to eat food meant for animals, not just any but pigs. This shows how bad things got for him. When we walk away from God, things can get pretty bad pretty fast. Then last part of verse 16 says that “…and no one gave him anything”. To work without receiving food or money is suggestive of slavery. We could put in so much effort without God and receive much less than we deserve.
One of the most exciting parts of the whole parable is found in verse 17 wher it says "...but when he came to himself...". This is a great statement as it represents the son coming to the realisation that even the slaves in his father's house had enoughto eat and spare. He decided to move back to his father and plead to be accepted as a slave or hired servant. The circumstances had pushed him to the wall and at that wall, he came to a realisation that he was much better off with his father.
He decided to move back to his father, however, while quite a distance from home, his father saw him and run towards him. He kissed his neck and this tells us that the father had been waiting for him to return back home to him. Sometimes, we go too far and feel God would never accept us back especially after how we have ignored him and gone after our own path. This however is not true and he awaits us with great eagerness. This story is to serve as a reminder to you that God loves you, has always loved you and would continually love you
If you know and believe you have gone too far, it is the exact reason why you need to surrender to God. Talk to him today, make amends and start to live right. Bible mentions the fact that we are being reconciled to him without him counting our sins against us. Decide to live for Christ today and your life will never be the same. If you made a decision to walk with Christ, get in touch with us on 0243632958 and we would be happy to assist you on your journey.
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