Scripture to Read: Luke 15:13–16
Jesus then tells us this in Luke 15:13–16, “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.” The younger son wasted no time; as soon as he got what he wanted, he left his father and family behind. He began to live a fleshly lifestyle, satisfying his fleshly desires with what Jesus described as “loose living.” The younger son was indulging his fleshly desires, being completely irresponsible with no moral or religious discipline in his life at all. Jesus didn’t give us a timeframe for all of this, but we are quickly informed that the younger son spent all of his inheritance. A famine hit the country where he was and he began to starve. His lavish lifestyle was over and he had to hire himself out to feed pigs. Jesus knew for the Jewish listeners that swine were unclean animals. So, having to feed them would not just reveal the son’s hardship but also his spiritual disgrace, for he was doing work that made him unclean. Often, hardship must hit before brokenness can occur.
Challenge & Application
How did Jesus reveal the son’s selfish, fleshly heart?
How can our heart get caught up in selfish, fleshly decisions, and how do we overcome that ungodly behavior?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!