Who Is Stupid? - A Parable Unsung

 

Once upon a time there was a bad boy.  (Oh, we all know it’s politically incorrect to say a boy is bad, but in this case it’s OK, because he was bad.)

Assuming he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, any way he wanted, with whomever he wanted, he indulged himself.  Not only that, he did it all with someone else’s money.  Why? Because he wanted to do whatever he wanted, and he wanted someone else to finance it. 

His associates thought he had it all figured out. He intended to live the life they only dreamed of – fully funded days of licentious pleasure and indulgence.
“Why produce when you can consume?”
“Why sow seed when you can harvest where you’ve not planted?”
“Why work if you can do nothing?”
“Why stand if you can sit and why sit if you can lie down?”
“Why discipline yourself if you can indulge yourself?”

So the bad boy went to a well he hadn’t dug to draw water.

And who did he tap to finance his fun?  How did he get someone else to pay for what he wanted? He tapped someone who cared. He took their gift and ran off to ruin his life in wild, out-of-control, lawless living.  He broke every moral code. (Oh, we all know it’s politically incorrect to say there is a moral code, because that implies the existence of some transcendent and objective Truth requiring alignment of us, and if we live out-of-alignment we’ll experience undesirable consequences which might lend credence to the veracity of untenable notions like, “You’ll harvest the crop you plant,” which follows the logic of cause-and-effect, which suggests Intelligent Design, which necessitates an Intelligent Designer, which mitigates against evolutionary theory, and since we humbly offer obeisance to current cultural misunderstandings of Darwin’s works, we simply don’t want to believe there is a magnificent objective moral code.  But there is, and the bad boy broke it.)

After the bad boy squandered the provision he been given, and proved he had no self-control, no willingness to do what’s right, no personal discipline and no regard for anyone but himself, he came to himself. He realized the self-absorbed hedonistic life-style he’d chosen had burned through all the money and wealth he’d been given. He’d had it all and he’d wasted it all.

At last he understood. Once the money is gone, the fun is done.

So he did what he he thought was required for a great life. He went to the one who cared and said, “Hey, can’t you see I’m out of money? What’s wrong with you? Give me more money so I can get back to the wild and careless life I’ve come to enjoy!  I’ve never had to pay. I’ve never had to do what’s right. I’ve never had to manage my resources, be a good steward or recognize my provision is from your hand. I didn’t honor you. I didn’t obey you. I didn’t care what you wanted.  I’ve got more partying to do, so shut up and pay up.”

Wow. Good thing we don’t believe anyone should be responsible for their own actions.

Good thing we’re socially savvy, otherwise we might be offended that this bad boy didn’t say, “I’m sorry. I won’t do that again. I’ve learned my lesson.” (Oh, we all know it’s politically incorrect to say, “I was wrong. Forgive me. I don’t deserve grace and understand if you don’t give me anything I haven’t earned, but please extend mercy on me and don’t give me what I do deserve! From now on I’ll live as I should.” Sophisticated people just don’t apologize like that in our culture. We understand why the bad boy demanded more money. He wanted to continue doing what he wanted to do, and get someone else to pay for it. Hey, we not only understand his demands, we admire him because he got away with doing stuff we only dream about: “Hmmm. Wonder if I could do anything I want…and get someone else to pay for it?”)
The bad boy had no intention of changing his bad boy ways.

He went back to the well and said, “I’ve given you no reason to think I’m going to do anything different.  I’ve not changed my ways and I’m not going to. I squandered every penny I could lay my hands on and I don’t regret it one bit.  I’m going to keep doing the things I enjoy and I expect you to pick up the tab. So give me money. Do it now.”

And what happened?  Of course, you know.

The unrepentant bad boy was given 170 billion dollars.

And you know what?  The donor was shocked when the bad boy went right back to doing what unrepentant bad boys do.

The donor was stunned to see the bad boy return to his bad ways. “I’m shocked. I thought if I gave him 170 billion dollars, he would change his ways and be fiscally responsible. My goodness. Who could have guessed he’d go back to his old ways! Huh. Who knew?”

So who is stupid?

A.)  The hedonistic bad boy, because he is unrepentant and keeps taking everything he can get his donor to give him?
B.)  The donor because he funnels 170 billion dollars into the black hole of the bad boy’s self-absorbed, self-serving desire for a continuing free ride?
C.)  All of us, because we keep supporting the donor’s ambition to pay for every unrepentant bad boy’s bailout, with money he takes from the productive people contributing valuable goods and services to our society?

Please pick one: A, B, or C and say why that’s your choice.

Just FYI:
There is a very different story told by Jesus. It’s about a bad boy who repents, changes his ways and is given mercy, grace and abundant provision.  You can read Jesus’ story below. Note the bad boy’s change preceded his awareness of the grace, mercy and provision given him. (Oh, we all know it’s not politically correct to mention “conversion” because the implications of that religiously-nuanced word imply we are amenable to the sovereignty of Almighty God and He requires that we order our lives according to the Law of His Word. So it’s best to use the word “change” and stay safe, eh?)

Luke 15:11-24  -  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.
     Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
     When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’
     So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
     But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.’”

 

 

Comments

[paul]

Watch out Pastor Mark! You're going to get audited! ;-)

[Dan Mayer]

Pastor Mark,

I believe you may have left out a fourth choice: D.) None of the above (Since to say that anyone is "stupid" implies that they have the ability to not lack the sense to make intelligent decisions after which it naturally follows that there exists an omniscient Creator who has endowed mankind with the ability to gain the wisdom and knowledge to make the right choices.)

Boy, all this political correctness makes me want to sit down and crack open a good Book (since I can no longer say the name of the Book I will open, I will use capitalization as a hint...I sure hope they do not ban the use of capitalization!).

;-) ;-)

[TJ Smith]

My 6 year old asked an unsolicited question today. He said, "Dad, what happens when you spend all your money and you have zero?" It was difficult for me to provide a helpful answer and not a sarcastic comment… Hope I made the most of a teaching moment.

O yah ... C, because we hired the donor(s) through either our involvement or lack there of.

[Bruce]

Paster Mark,
There is more to it than what has been spoken,because this bad boy had leverage. This leverage made it impossible to just let him fail without breaking the finances of many of the people in this great nation. Thus the bad boy made it much more difficult to discipline him. This bad boy also had the approval of the previous king which made it all the more difficult.
Bruce

[Thomas Hoyt]

Hmmmm, dare I say it? Yeah why not.

Hey, this tune sounds like a description of our government!

Uh huh, when civil authority steps out of bounds it's time for us to cry "FOUL!".

[Smithson]

The answer to your question is "C." The bad boy is acting out in the only way he knows how. We can't expect him to act differently nor should we be surprised by his selfish actions. His nature is to do just what he did. We supported (appointed?) the donors who continued to allow the bad boy to act without consequence.. so the blame starts and stops with us. The donor acted in much the same way as the bad boy when you think about it - neither wanted to face unpleasant consequences of wrong and selfish actions... thus, the story is perpetuated. The bad boy is not the problem but rather the donor who supplies the bad boy with what he wants while averting all consequences. Had the donors said "no' to the bad boy's requests and allowed the bad boy to have gone hungry and homeless the bad boy would have changed his ways or died... which would have told other bad boys to shape up or be left to the same outcome. Some say the bad boy was too big to be allowed such a fate. That if the bad boy didn't get what he wanted all his friends would suffer. But isn't that part of the consequences of doing wrong? Where those around you also get hurt as a result of your wrong? So the donor's decide not to allow the consequences for the fear of hurting the bad boy's friends? Shame on us for allowing the donors (whether past, present or future) to do what they have done. It's time to restore order - and let the bad boy deal with the conseqences. Surely, God will if we don't! (Galatians 6:7 Don't be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows,
that he will also reap. )