The Prodigal Son. 2

We are also taught three outstanding things in connection with the SINNER. In the first part of the parable he is seen under the figure of a sheepthat is lost—this intimates the stupidity of the sinner who, like a lost sheep, is unable to find his way home, and who if he is to be restored must be sought. In the second part of the parable he is seen under the figure of a coin and is lost—here we have an inanimate object, in other words, that which accurately portrays the solemn fact that the sinner is spiritually dead. In the third part of the parable he is seen under the figure of a dissolute son, away in the far-country. This gives us a representation of the natural man's moral condition, as alienated from God and wayward at heart.

It is the third part of this parable which is now to engage our attention, that part of the parable which views the sinner coming into the presence of God. It is the human side that is now made prominent. Here we are shown the sinner's consciousness of his need—he "began to be in need." Here we are shown the sinner exercising his will—"I will arise." Here we are shown the sinner repenting—"I will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you, and am no more worthy to be called your son." But let it be borne in mind that before the sinner does any of these three things, God has previously been at work upon him. Let us not forget that in this wonderful and blessed parable, the Lord Jesus gives us the divineside first, before He makes mention of the human side. Therefore, let those who desire to "follow His steps" give careful heed to this principle." We shall now consider—

1. He had a "portion." "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them." (vv. 11, 12) In addition to our natural endowments or talents, and our time and strength, God has given to every one of His creatures, a soul. This soul may be regarded as capital in hand with which to do our trading both for time and eternity. It is a most valuable portion, for it is worth more than "the whole world"; it is worth more than the whole world, because it will endure after the world and all its works have been burnt up.

This parable begins by bringing into view, the sinner before he goes out into the "far country," or to use the language of the parable, before he "took his journey into a far country." It was while in the father's house that he received his portion of the property.

2. He "took his journey into a far country" (v. 13). The "far country" is the world which is far away from God, so far away that "the whole world lies in the wicked one." (James 5:19) As the result of Adam's sin, man was separated from God, and all of Adam's descendants enter this world "alienated from the life of God." (Ephesians 4:18) There is a great gulf between the thrice holy God and the sinful creature which none but Christ can bridge. The sinner is far away from God in his heart, in his thoughts, in his ways. How much this explains!

It explains Atheism. Atheism is simply man's attempt to hide from the painful sensation of a holy God's acknowledged presence. Men will give you many reasons as to why they are infidels, agnostics, and atheists—but these reasons are, in reality, only so many "excuses" (Luke 14:18). The real reason is that men are determined to get away from the avowed acknowledgment of God.

This explains the general neglect of the Bible. People will give you many reasons as to why they do not read it—they cannot find the time, there is much in it they cannot understand, and there are so many conflicting interpretations of its contents—and so they leave it alone. Men esteem the holy Word of God less highly than they do the writings of their fellow sinners. And yet the Scriptures treat of many subjects of profound importance and vital consequence: they furnish the only reliable information concerning the origin of man, the nature of man, the purpose of man's existence, and the life beyond the grave, etc. Impelled by an uneasy conscience, many will read a chapter in the Bible now and again—but that is all, and the real reason for this is because the Bible brings man into the presence of God—and that is the very last thing the natural man desires. What a proof is this, then, that he is in "the far country"; that at heart he is away from the Father! "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." John 3:19

This explains why it is that sinners, as such, have no delight in prayer. Real prayer is a direct speaking to God through the mediation of Christ. It is that which brings us into contact and communion with the Great Invisible. But the sinner has no heart for this. He finds no enjoyment in pouring out his soul to God. If he prays at all, prayer is an irksome task and a mere repetition of words. He had rather do almost anything than pray, and the reason for this is because he wants to keep far away from God.

This explains why it is that the sinner has no real delight in the public worship of God. It is true that he may go to church: a vague sense of duty may take him there, or it may be from force of habit acquired through a Christian upbringing, or it may be an uneasy conscience which renders him a punctual attendant. Nor is he always an uninterested hearer of the preached Word. When the preacher delivers his message with oratorical fire and with rhetorical embellishments that are pleasing to the ear, he is not only interested but gratified. But let the preacher forget his rhetoric, let him leave his generalizations, let him address himself directly to the sinner's conscience, and say "YOU are the man!" let him be brought into the presence of God—and the poor unsaved listener will at once be rendered uneasy, and it is more than doubtful whether he will return any more to hear that preacher.

3. He "wasted his portion with riotous living." (v. 13). As pointed out above, the "portion" is the living soul which every man receives from his Creator, and which is to be regarded as capital in hand with which to do his trading both for time and eternity. And here is how the sinner, every sinner, uses the "portion" that he has received from the Father of spirits. He squanders it. Let it be said emphatically that this 'prodigal son' is not merely a representation of some particular class of sinners who are more wicked than their fellows, whose offences against God are more flagrant than the general run of sinners; but instead, the 'prodigal son' pictures the course that is followed by every descendant of Adam.

"And there wasted his portion with riotous living." From the hour of his birth, the natural man has never cherished a single feeling, exercised a single thought, or performed a single deed that is acceptable to God. So far as the things of God are concerned, he is spiritually barren—his life is fruitless. But not only has he ignored the claims of God, not only has he neglected the things of God, not only has he failed to love the Lord his God with all his heart—but he has squandered his time, misused his talents, and lived entirely for himself.

4. He encountered "a mighty famine." (v. 14) "And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land." (v. 14) "That land" is the "far country." It is the world, that world which is away from God, and which, in consequence, "lies in the wicked one." And in that land there is "a mighty famine" all the while. It is to be noted, however, that we are told "there arose a mighty famine in that land." It was not so there, always. The famine "arose" when man became separated from God—that was at the Fall. The "famine" has reference to the fact that there is nothing whatever in this world that can minister to man's soul.

5. He "began to be in need." (v. 14) Here, in the history of a sinner who is saved eventually, is where hope begins. There are many living in this "far country" today where there is "a mighty famine" but, the tragic thing is, that they are unconscious of it. They are satisfied with what they find here. They are sensible of no need which this world fails to meet. It is only after God begins His work upon the soul—that the sinner discovers that everything here is only "vanity and vexation of spirit." Happy the one who has reached this point. Happy the one who has begun "to be in need." Happy the one who is conscious of an aching void in his heart, of a yearning in his soul, of a need in his spirit, which the things of this world and the pleasures of sin have failed to satisfy. Such an one is "not far from the kingdom."

Nevertheless, the beginning to be "in need" is but the initial experience. There are other experiences, painful ones, to be passed through before the sinner actually comes to God, Let us follow further the history of "the prodigal son" which so accurately traces the course pursued by each of us.

6. He "went and joined himself to a citizen of that country." (v. 15) How true to life! Notice he did not decide at once to return to his father— that did not come until later. Instead of returning to the father, he turned to man for relief, and went to work, for as we read, "he (the citizen of that country) sent... him into his field to feed swine." Does the Christian reader need an interpreter here? Does not his own past experience supply the key to the meaning of verse 15? The beginning to be "in need" finds its counterpart in the first awakening of the soul, or to use other terms, it corresponds to conviction of sin.

And when a soul has been awakened, when it has been convicted of sin, when it has been made conscious of a "need" not yet supplied—what does such a one invariably do? Did you, dear reader, turn at once to the Savior? Not if your experience was anything like that of the writer and the vast majority of other Christians he has talked with. If your experience corresponds in any ways with his and theirs, after you were first awakened you began to attempt to work out a righteousness of your own, you betook yourself to the work of reformation, and to aid you in this you turned to man for counsel and help. And unless the sovereign grace of God overruled it, instead of seeking help from a real Christian who (if he had intelligence in the things of God) would at once have urged you to "search the Scripture" to discover God's remedy, you turned to some professing Christian, who in reality was only a "citizen of that country"—the world. And if you turned to such an one, he did for you precisely what we read here in the parable—he sent you "to feed swine."

Allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, the "swine" here represents professing Christians, who ultimately apostatize. (See 2 Peter 2:20-22.) The one to whom you went for advice told you that what you needed to do was to "engage in Christian service," "work for the Lord," "get busy in helping others"—and this while you were still dead in trespasses and sins! Perhaps you were asked to teach a class of unsaved children in the Sunday School, or to be an officer of a young people's society (the majority of whom were, probably, like yourself—unsaved), and thus "feed the swine."

7. He "came to his senses." "He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no man gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!'" (vv. 16, 17)

And again we say, How true to life! What did this joining of himself to a citizen of that country, and this working in the field amount to? What relief did it bring to his hungry soul? Nothing! All there was for him there were "the husks that the swine ate." And what did all your labors as an awakened but unregenerate sinner amount to? What relief did they afford your poor heart? None whatever! All your zeal and sacrifices in your so called "Christian service" provided you with nothing but "husks," the same husks that the "swine ate."

And how pathetic are the words that follow next, "no man gave him anything!" Ah! the need of the awakened sinner lies deeper than any "man" can reach unto. It is this lessen that the sinner must next be taught. He must learn to turn away from man—and look unto Christ Himself. It is not until he does this—that there will be any relief.

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