Feeding Swine - Luke 15:15

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls 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 in chapter fifteen and verse fifteen of his book Luke wrote how Jesus said the younger son, “went and joined himself to a citizen … and he sent him into his fields to feed swine” where we read:

And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country;

and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

The verse reads, “And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country;” Luke began with the words, “and he went” or “and the younger son departed, traveled and left” “and joined himself to a citizen” which means “and fastened himself firmly to an inhabitant, associate and fellow countryman” “of that country” or “belonging to that ground, territory and region”. Luke shared how Jesus said the younger son departed where he was and became “fastened” to an “inhabitant” of that “territory”.

The verse continues, “and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.” Luke added the words, “and he sent him” or “and the fellow country man dispatched the younger son” “into his fields” which means “to the countryman's land, tillage or farm” “to feed swine” or “to graze and keep hogs or pigs”. Luke shared how Jesus said the “fellow countryman” dispatched the “younger son” to his “farm” so he could “provide food” for his “hogs”.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we notice the great decline in the life of this younger son. He went from having much, to having nothing, and now, he was so in need that he “joined” himself to a “fellow countryman” who sent him to his “farmland” to feed his pigs. “Swine” were an offensive and non-kosher food for the people of Israel, and we can only imagine how horrific this younger son's conditions were as he stood in “pig slop” to feed them. God desires that no person endure these kinds of conditions, and yet, choice by choice, many people drive themselves into situations that have them in dire need. God gave His Son Jesus to mankind so people might have life more abundantly, (See John 10:10), and those who yield their lives to Him never need to endure hardships without Him being with them. The wise person allows God to direct their life through His Holy Spirit, and should they find themselves in front of a particular choice, let them always choose the way of God first.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus says the son would, “have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".