Arrogant Greed

Luke 15:11-12 Jesus continued: "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. (NIV)

This parable is the climax of a series of three stories which illustrate the problem of being far from God, and its solution. The lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7) was a foolish wanderer, incapable of finding a way home; the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10) was totally dependent on somebody turning on a light and searching for it.

Of course, Jesus is the one who has come to search out the lost ones. Now we read about an arrogant son who left his father's home deliberately abandoning the security of home. He consciously chose to insult his father by demanding a share in the estate while his parent was still alive. (The eldest could claim two thirds and younger children would divide the remaining one third of the father's assets.)

The father in the parable represents Father God. He was not weak in giving in to the demand, but he did not demand unwilling submission. He did not refuse a legal request even though the son insulted him by giving the message that he never wanted anything to do with his father again. The son exploited his right to have the money but had no desire for any sort of honorable relationship with his father.

That is exactly how many people treat God today. They want to experience His blessing and goodness, but have no intention of serving Him in love. They want to be separate from Him in order to fulfill their own ambition, which is really rebellion against the Lord of all. They also want to take His property - the whole world belongs to God (Psalm 24:1).

The result has been a terrible trail of environmental disasters and human exploitation: misery, injustice, war, poverty and epidemic disease which are just some of the legacy of arrogant greed. At a local level, families are torn apart, business confidence diminishes and fear displaces joy. That is why we need a gospel of salvation which is free to all and a Savior to rescue us, although it cost Jesus everything.

If you know that gospel, share it.

Prayer: Father God. I admit that I have been like that arrogant son towards You. Please forgive me for taking what belongs to You in order to use it for my own pleasure. Help me to honour You by seeing the world as You see it, accepting my responsibility as one of its trustees, so that it will work well for the people You love. Help me also to work with You instead of against You so that wounded people may be healed, oppressed people may be delivered and ignorant people may understand how much You love them, even though they rebel against You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

WB "Word@Work" Journal