The Prodigal’s older brother

 

 

Somewhere in time, approximately two thousand years ago, Jesus told a parable about a prodigal son.  The story was of a man who had two sons.  The younger son asked for his inheritance and left home to spend his money on riotous living.  After exhausting all he had, a famine fell on the land and he was starving.  He had taken a job feeding pigs and prayed for food as good as what the pigs were eating.  It was at this time, he realized the servants in his father’s house were better off than he was.  He gathered together is meager possessions and went home.  His intention was to ask to be a servant in his father’s home. His father had other thoughts.

Once home, his father threw a great celebration.  His son was lost to him and now he is found.  The story can be found in Luke, Chapter 15, starting in verse 11. The point of the story is if you have strayed, it’s never too late to return.  God is waiting to welcome you home.

Today I don’t want to talk about the younger son, the one who was welcomed back. I want to talk about the older son.

The older son stayed with the father.  He worked hard for his father to make sure the family continued to prosper.  When he comes home and sees the party for his younger brother, he becomes indignant.

Luke 15:29-30 “So he answered and said to his father, “Lo these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.””

In my opinion, the older brother felt like it was doing right, but perhaps he wasn’t doing it with the right motives.  Do we do our good works only to get some recognition from men?  If we do, it’s the wrong reason.  It may also be that he was growing weary.  He was working and working and he returned to find a celebration in honor of someone, in his mind, who hadn’t worked at all.

When I was growing up, we had testimony time at church. This is where someone would stand up and say what had brought them to Christ.  I always felt a little left out.  People would get up and say they were caught up in drugs and then Christ saved them.  All I could say is I was five years old when I became a Christian.  I wasn’t saved out of something horrible, but the decision I made was no less as real.  Of course, my testimony didn’t make the older women cry or the men want to pat me on the back. I felt like the prodigal's older brother. I wanted a little celebration for making the right choice also.   

As I was thinking about the prodigal’s older brother, I ran across a verse I thought he could use. 

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.    

When you are always the one doing what is right and standing strong, you may grow wearing in well doing, but don’t lose heart.  The season may be long, but serving God is still the reason why we are here. 

For everyone who feels like the prodigals older brother and wants to cry out – Hey, what about me?  Don’t worry, your reward is coming. 

Luke 15:31 “And he said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.”  That is what the father said to the prodigal son.  Perhaps that is what our heavenly father is staying to us now.

 

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