Chapter 6: Sometimes the Prodigal, Sometimes the Elder Brother

Chapter 6: Sometimes the Prodigal, Sometimes the Elder Brother

A Response By Melodie Fleming

Some sins are more obvious than others, but which ones bother God the most?

In the book of Luke, the Bible records a story Jesus told to a group of preachers. A young man rebelled against his father, took the family fortune, left home, and squandered his inheritance on sinful living. After losing everything, he worked as a farmhand in order to survive. He became so destitute that he actually longed for the slop he was feeding to the pigs! So, he repented, went home, and begged for his father’s forgiveness.

When the father saw his prodigal son returning home, he ran to meet him, hugged him, and threw a party. Perhaps they would have lived happily ever after, but there was a problem. The elder brother didn’t feel like partying. He’d been working hard in the fields for years. Why should he celebrate his brother’s return?

I wonder which child grieved the father’s heart more?

Most people focus on the relationship between the prodigal and the father in this story, and for good reason. There’s much to ponder. The father let his son choose his own path. He allowed him to learn from his mistakes. He longed for his child’s return and accepted him without judgment. He rejoiced without lamenting the losses his son had cost him.

But Jesus didn’t tell this story to a group of prodigals. He told it to a group of preachers. Jesus had been hanging out with the prodigals. He loved them, accepted them, forgave them, and taught them. The neighborhood clergymen didn’t like it. They felt a righteous man wouldn’t spend so much time hanging out with sinners. Jesus told the story to help them see themselves…as elder brothers.

Angela Thomas points out that we Christians often find ourselves in either position. Sometimes, we are aware of our sin. We see our rebellion, bitterness, jealousy, or moral failures for what they are. We take our shame to the Heavenly Father. We throw ourselves on his mercy. He forgives us.

Sometimes, though, we are convinced that we are more worthy of God’s love than other people. We don’t see our self-righteousness, judgmentalism, legalism, and self-satisfaction as serious sin. We think we are better than other kinds of sinners and trade in celebrations for pity parties.

The solution for the prodigal and for the elder brother is the same: repentance. When we come as little children before the Grand Emperor of the Universe, we will be too humble to think ourselves better than anyone else, too uninhibited to let our shame stop us from throwing ourselves at his feet, and too forgiven to think twice about letting him draw us up into his lap.

Praise God! He is a Father who forgives prodigals and elder brothers alike!