Pig Pods and Powerful Grace
12/1 Reading Portions: 1 Chronicles 29; 2 Peter 3; Micah 6; Luke 15
“And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!’” Luke 15:16-17
The scribes and Pharisees grumbled (Luke 15:2) because “tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to” Jesus (Luke 15:1). Yet, when Jesus justified sinners coming to Him, He justified this occurrence with three parables demonstrating God’s sovereign grace to save lost sinners. In the first two parables, the Lord Jesus used illustrations which cannot be mistaken for their ability to present Christ’s initiating action to seek and save lost sinners. In the first parable, the author of the old nursery rhyme “Lil’ Bo Peep” clearly knew nothing of lost sheep: “Leave them alone, and they’ll come home.” A sheep which has wandered from the flock won’t return on its own (Luke 15:3-7). In the second parable, the Lord Jesus emphasized His point with an inanimate object, a lost coin (LUKE 15:8-10). A coin cannot come to the conclusion it is lost; neither can it decide it must be found; nor can it attempt to find its owner. A coin is lost, and remains lost, until the one who will retrieve it searches for it, finds it, and then places it among the other coins so it will not be lost again. Finally, in the third parable, a human being is used to illustrate the same truth. Surely, a human being is responsible for his actions, especially before God. Yet, we must recognize that the lost son, at the lowest depth of his depravity and rebellion, lusted after and set his heart upon (was longing for) the pig pods (‘husks’ in KJV); and then, came to himself. As Jesus is the only Way to the Father (John 14:6), the unseen Holy Spirit must awaken the soul when all else is hopeless… so that no flesh may boast in God’s presence (1 Cor 1:29). Be humbled (1 Pet 5:6) by God’s sovereign grace and rejoice! Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Heavenly Father, great You are,
To save us through Your Son;
Though we have sinn’d and stray’d quite far,
Yet, by Your grace, we’ve come.
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