The younger son had left home.  He became a prodigal, taking and recklessly spending his inheritance money, believing he could create a better life for himself away from his father (Luke 15:11-13).  But, as with all self-indulgent impulses, he had no long-term plan and the money drained away quickly as he immersed himself in pleasure.  He had no thought of providing for the future, nor did he have any contingency reserve.  He was so self-obsessed he had no idea that his dreams could all be swept away (Luke 17:26-29) and that the economic downturn of a failed harvest would leave him without anything.  

In Jesus' story, the next scene is a stark contrast to the image of wild sensual city life.  The once arrogant son who indulged himself at his father’s expense - had lost everything.  He was beginning to feel the hellish prelude to the pain of isolated suffering (Luke 16:23-24).  He was suffering badly and there was no one to help.  He had no choice; he had to get a job, and the only paid work he could get was feeding pigs.

For Jews, pigs were unclean animals which contaminated anybody who touched them.  So, the story would have sent a shudder down the spines of the religious leaders listening to Jesus; it would certainly have captured their attention, especially when they were told that the lad was so hungry that he even wanted to eat the pig food.  The picture was obvious: the young man was destitute, alone, hungry and frightened.  He had no future - because he arrogantly thought he knew better than his father.  It was a classic description of personal rebellion against God, which the Bible calls 'sin'.  And Jesus was emphasising that sin is not just covert fun, but it always has sad and destructive rewards (Romans 6:23).

Although Father God longs to care for everybody He has made (Psalm 145:9), sinners believe that they can do better without Him.  That is a devil-inspired lie, but one which seduces many onto a road of ruin (Matthew 7:13-14).  As they go, they waste their resources which ultimately come from the Father until they have no personal reserves left.  The horizon of a popular self-made life is just an illusion which turns into a lonely nightmare.  That is the inevitable consequence of abandoning God's kindness and rejecting Jesus the Saviour.  Of course, not all suffer like that in this life - some sinners are more successful than others - but Jesus’ description of hell to come is far worse (Matthew 24:51; Matthew 25:30).  That is why every true believer should earnestly desire, pray and witness so that their friends and colleagues are saved from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).