There are many pictures that are found within the Bible. By pictures it is meant that the Bible is so detailed on certain items that one cannot help but visualize what is being said. For instance, one can think back to the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8). As Christ begins with “A sower went out to sow his seed…” one can easily visualize a sower sowing seed. Another parable where this is easily seen is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. One can easily visualize the young man as he wastes all and falls into troubles. In fact, there are three pictures which could be found within the text. One such picture is the picture of sin. Within the parable, we are told of a young man who went “into a far away country.” This country is a representation of sin and it would do well to exam the similarities between sin and this country. Our study will take place in Luke 15:11-17.
“And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!” (Luke 15:11-17). From this text one would notice three things concerning sin and how it relates to man.
Sin Separates
He was separated from his father (v. 11-13a). The young man first goes to his father and selfishly asks for his portion of the inheritance. One may ask, “How was this young man able to demand his portion of inheritance while his father was still living?” At the time Jesus spoke this parable, Roman law stated that a child could make such a request while their father still lived. If the father did not give the inheritance to said child the government would intervene and force its hand. The only requirement of the child was to pay the government a tax for receiving the inheritance early. The father divided the living amongst his two sons and the youngest son left and went into the far off country away, thus separating himself from his father.
He was separated from his family (v. 13a). Within this parable one is able to read of this young man’s father, eldest brother, and his father’s servants. When one considers how the servants were treated, it is almost as if they were part of this family and treated as creatures lower than any other beings. Again, the young man went into the far away country and by doing so he was separated from his family.
He was separated from his wealth (v. 13b-14a). Upon entering into this far away country the young man took part in “riotous living.” This is essentially spending without any type of investment whatsoever. While his older brother had a theory of how the money was spent, there is nothing within the text to prove this theory. Christ just said it was riotous living which could mean a number of things. Regardless, it is no wonder that with no investments being made the young man soon “spent all.”
He was separated from his blessings (v. 14b-16). Soon after spending all, a famine entered the land and the young man began to be in want. Consider the blessings that would have come by still living with his father. He could remember how well his father’s servants were treated. As this man’s son, the young one would have been blessed more so than his father’s servants. Instead, due to his decision to enter the far away land he was separated from the blessings which came from being under his father’s roof. He was forced to work as the servant of another feeding swine.
Just as being in the far away country caused this young man to be separated from many important things, sin will separate man from a number of important things.
Sin can separate us from The Father. Isaiah made this point as through inspiration he penned, “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2). The deeds which the Jews had committed caused a rift between them and God. It was the iniquities or sins which they committed which caused said separation. If one chooses to live in sin, he faces separation from God.
Sin can separate us from our Family. Within the pages of the Old Testament, one would read of an Israelite being “cut off from the people” for committing certain actions (Exodus 31:14). This was a softer way of saying that person would be killed for committing sin. Since the Jews were of a same lineage it was essentially being separated from a family. Within the pages of the New Testament, the body of Christ, the church, is given many different names. One beautiful description of it is a family (Ephesians 3:14). One can be cut off from that family by way of sin. Jesus gives another picture of this body when He speaks of Himself being the True Vine (John 15:1-7). Christ said, “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6). That’s separation from the family of Christ because of sin.
Sin can separate us from our wealth. Keep in mind that Christians are not to lay up treasures on earth but Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). At the same time, the Christian is to make proper investments for the future as did the unjust steward (Luke 16:8). What does this have to do with sin? Sin is expensive. It is estimated that if the average smoker in Georgia were to quit, the money left over would feed his or her family for a week. Also consider how many are in want but can still afford a pack of smokes. Imagine the good which can be done if that money were used for other things.
Sin can separate us from our spiritual blessings found in Christ. Paul wrote that all spiritual blessings are found in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). If one is separated from God and the family of Christ, that one is separated from Christ and the blessings found in Christ.
Notice the separating power which sin has. Why would anyone want to be involved with it? Next, it will be noticed how sin humiliates.
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