Luke chapters 15, 16

The three parables of Jesus that Dr. Luke recorded for his readers – the prodigal son, the dishonest steward and the story of the rich man and Lazarus, have something in common that links all the three together. The younger son wasted his father’s money, the steward wasted his employer’s money and the rich man wasted his own money to lose his own soul.

Money is more than just a whiff of paper because it can turn villain, in godly families and relationships. Sixteen out of the forty parables which Jesus spoke, portrayed how the morbid love for money can affect the life of Christians in this world and in the world to come.

The younger son in the parable, wanted his share of his father’s money before its due time. Having received his share, he lacked the wisdom to invest it but wasted it on carnal pleasures. He placed his love for money higher than his love for his father, only to wallow in debauchery and squander the money very soon. Money turned out to be the culprit that separated the son from the father.

When the prodigal son repented and returned home to his father seeking forgiveness, the gracious father not only forgave him but also restored his status within the family, without demanding the divided share which his son had frittered away.

This extreme generosity of the father to the younger son, affected the relationship between the elder son and his father. He got very angry because the father not only restored the status of the prodigal but also made him eligible for heirdom, which in turn would affect his total inheritance. The younger brother’s repentance and return did not gladden his heart because money once again stood between their relationship. Money affected the lives of all the three men in the parable- the giver and the two receivers.

Thought for the day: An ungodly desire for money (vitamin M) can shatter godly families and relationships.