Where My Rope Ends and God's Starts
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 to spare, and I perish with hunger. Luke 15:14-17, NKJV.
I used to wonder why Jesus had this poor young man lusting after pig food. After all, he was Jewish.
Much better, I thought, to have him feeding chickens. Quite a pleasant pastime. Or, better yet, sheep. I remember as a boy in northern California the sheep romping around on the green hills of spring. A fond memory.
But Jesus has the young rebel feeding swine, the dirtiest of domesticated animals and unclean to a Jew. But it's worse than that. The kid is pictured drooling over hog food. I don't know if you have seen what pigs on a traditional farm eat. I can assure you, you wouldn't want to put it in your mouth.
What Jesus is really telling us with the swine food story is that this young guy had come to the end of his rope. His money was gone. And with it went the friends--women first, I imagine, and then the males. No more good times with him.
And then this young man actually had to work for a living. Spoiled all his life, the whole thing must have come as a shock. And the kind of work--detestable in the extreme. He was at the end of his rope.
But the end of our rope for many of us is when the prodigal God can most easily reach us. The end of our rope is the beginning of His.
The ever-searching Holy Spirit found the young fellow in a pigsty. The Bible tells us that when he hit bottom "he came to himself." That is, he saw what it is like to live without the Father. He saw at last where a life of rebellion had carried him.
Having come to his existential moment, he realized as never before his need of the Father. And with that Spirit-guided insight he made a decision to turn his life around and head for home.
Father, help me to realize how much I need You. Please never let me forget or neglect my dependence on you.
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 to spare, and I perish with hunger. Luke 15:14-17, NKJV.
I used to wonder why Jesus had this poor young man lusting after pig food. After all, he was Jewish.
Much better, I thought, to have him feeding chickens. Quite a pleasant pastime. Or, better yet, sheep. I remember as a boy in northern California the sheep romping around on the green hills of spring. A fond memory.
But Jesus has the young rebel feeding swine, the dirtiest of domesticated animals and unclean to a Jew. But it's worse than that. The kid is pictured drooling over hog food. I don't know if you have seen what pigs on a traditional farm eat. I can assure you, you wouldn't want to put it in your mouth.
What Jesus is really telling us with the swine food story is that this young guy had come to the end of his rope. His money was gone. And with it went the friends--women first, I imagine, and then the males. No more good times with him.
And then this young man actually had to work for a living. Spoiled all his life, the whole thing must have come as a shock. And the kind of work--detestable in the extreme. He was at the end of his rope.
But the end of our rope for many of us is when the prodigal God can most easily reach us. The end of our rope is the beginning of His.
The ever-searching Holy Spirit found the young fellow in a pigsty. The Bible tells us that when he hit bottom "he came to himself." That is, he saw what it is like to live without the Father. He saw at last where a life of rebellion had carried him.
Having come to his existential moment, he realized as never before his need of the Father. And with that Spirit-guided insight he made a decision to turn his life around and head for home.
Father, help me to realize how much I need You. Please never let me forget or neglect my dependence on you.
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