Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. (Luke 15:11-13)
There are so many different lessons to learn from this parable and so many different ways to study it. We're going to focus on choosing wisdom over wasting our lives making foolish choices. The younger of the Father's sons made some very unwise choices that we can learn not to make ourselves: Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity. (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10) Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son, But a companion of gluttons shames his father. (Proverbs 28:7) Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth. (Proverbs 29:3)
But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ “And he arose and came to his father. (Luke 15:14-20; see Come to Yourself)
There's an old saying, "Let the 'good times' roll!" Well, the "good times" don't last, unless you have wisdom to make wise choices. This lost son learned this the hard way, going from having everything he needed to having nothing at all, because of the choices he made. He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich. (Proverbs 21:17) Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way. Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. (Proverbs 23:19-21) If we've lived our lives making the same kind of unwise choices, whether we've lost everything we have or gained the whole world, we still can come to ourselves, have what's called an "Aha moment"! And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:11-14)
The truth is, when we live in lifestyles contrary to the Word of God, we have sinned against heaven; we're just doing it before others. That's why when Jesus gave us the "model prayer", He instructed to us to say, Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ... And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. (Luke 11:2, 4; Matthew 6:9, 12) We have to seek God's forgiveness first, then He will help us restore our relationships with each other, just as He did for this father and son: But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:20-24)
Just as Jesus taught in the previous parables, regarding finding things that are lost, how much more should we rejoice when a person who was lost is found? "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10) It's never too early or too late in life to change the course we're on and go the right way. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”: (Ecclesiastes 12:1) Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. (I Thessalonians 5:6-8)
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