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“And he (the younger son) was longing to be fed with the pods that the pig ate, and no one gave him anything.”
– Jesus, “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:16)

Jesus’ story about a father and two sons has followed the younger son into a distant country, where he has foolishly squandered away the wealth gained from the family inheritance. Now working for a Gentile, he winds up feeding pigs, and finding he has the same desires as the pigs themselves. Jesus adds that one extra detail that emphasizes the boy’s depraved condition – he has such an intense hunger that he longs to eat pigs’ food.

Once we have suppressed our consciences by continually disobeying God’s Law, we lose all sense of moral proportion and begin to follow animalistic instincts. Like the younger son, we’re ready to start eating pigs’ food. Our culture is headed down the road of animalism, with certain beliefs so upside down that some people act more like animals than some trained animals do!

The business world is often described as “dog-eat-dog,” where you must claw your way to the top. Perhaps there are few lost people as financially destitute as the younger son in Jesus’ story, but there are nice looking people, beautifully clothed, working in luxurious offices who appear to be upstanding citizens, but who actually behave like animals in the business world. The ruthless instinct based in pride makes people want to tear down anyone who gets in their way to the top. Some are so geared to making money and being seen as successful that they’re ready to sacrifice their family, friends, and health to make it big.

The younger son wanted what a pig would desire. Could it be that we have begun treating others as dispensable? Are we so desperately wicked that we resort to behaving like animals? Jesus describes the horror of wickedness in the far country, away from the moral God. We know we’re there when our appetite and instincts are no longer humane.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2007 Kingdom People blog

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