BIBLE BREAKFAST (#154) 08/26/19
“How the prodigal son opened his eyes …”
Luke 15:17-19 (NLT) 17 When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.
▪️Last night, at the youth service, these words from the parable of the prodigal son somehow caught my eye in a special way.
▪️The decision of the prodigal son is shocking! The decision is so sound, correct and deliberate; it is even hard to believe that he is saying that. But, it turns out, even the “prodigal son,” was able to draw such a sound and wise conclusion and make such a deliberate and correct decision.
▪️How? There is one important circumstance which, to put it mildly, “nudged” the prodigal son to such a conclusion and decision. Christ called this state, with the words: “when he came to his senses.”
▪️And this is true, as long as a person “does not come to his senses,” more often, he is not capable of making the right decisions, of wise actions, but doing as it is written in scripture: “they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. Ephesians 4:17-19 (NLT)
▪️ “Come to your senses” – is to acquire the ability to adequately, sensibly perceive the surrounding circumstances; it is equivalent as to regaining consciousness after fainting. It’s like “the eyes opened”, and previously as if the eyes were closed.
▪️In other words, this is such a “shake-up”, after which the person begins to see clearly and begins to understand and see what he had not seen before, even being present there.
▪️A couple of verses above, describes what has prompted the prodigal son’s “coming to himself”: Luke 15:14-16 (NLT) 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. ▪️As has been repeatedly noted in life, that, unfortunately, not all people are capable of the correct understanding and making a correct decisions until something “shakes” them, in simple words, “makes them” change their minds.
▪️Is it worth “waiting” and reaching the condition where, as it is written, “he was glad to fill his stomach with horns that were eaten by pigs, but no one gave him.” A hungry stomach instantly opened blind eyes.
▪️But as you can see, more often than not, for those in “prodigal son” state, a circumstances and “nudges” are necessary, so that finally “the eyes open”, so that he may “come to his senses” and could finally say, “I’ll get up, go to my father and tell him”…
▪️I want to encourage everyone who prays for the “prodigal sons”, the “prodigal daughters” and all other “lost in sins”. Do not despair if you still do not see them “on the way home.” Continue to pray, due to which one day such circumstances in their life will come that will “make”, “nudge” them to open their eyes, and come to their senses.
▪️And if these lines are read by someone who’s eyes are closed to something, who is doing something wrong, is not aware, or simply does not want to be aware, thinking “everything will somehow pass by” …, think about whether it’s worth it to reach a condition where circumstances will be allowed by God, that will “make” you come to your senses and open your eyes.
? Have a good day everyone and a good life lesson from the story of the prodigal son! (With a prayer, Valery Bayko).
P.S. If you feel this is valuable, share this with others.