Sin, Second chances, and the letter of the law.
When a man is covered in pig poop, surrounded by swine, and one step away from devouring a healthy handful of slop, it makes him stop and think, "Where did I go wrong?" This is the question so often asked at the end of a road of broken lives and shattered dreams. Arriving at this destination begs the question, is there a second chance. Is there a clean slate, a do over? Or is life a one shot deal, in which one must play the hand they are dealt, regardless of its out come.
More often than not, human beings suffer from the consequences of their own actions as a result of violating certain moral and ethical codes. This is exactly what happens in the gospel of Luke, with the parable of the prodigal son. According to Jesus Christ, the teller of the story, the Prodigal son ends up broken and destitute as a result of leaving his father's household, thus leaving behind his father's protection, provision, and wisdom. This represents Christian belief of what sin is, Sin is not only the commission specific actions, but also one's refusal to obey, and follow God. In short sin is anything that is not in God's will. As result of sin one steps out of the will of God for there lives, and is now subject to the wages of sin which is death. In leaving his father's house and demanding his inheritance ahead of its time, the prodigal stepped out of his earthly and heavenly fathers will, setting himself up for certain failure.
Despite a substantial inheritance, the young man lacked the wisdom and experience needed to navigate the treacherous road of life he chooses to embark upon. Seeking only to please himself, he sends his life spiraling out of control. Without regard for the morrow he wastes his life's savings on wild living and temporal pleasure. In the end he has nothing to show for what his father gave him, except an empty stomach and a heart of regret.
