The Older Brother

Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!” ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ – Luke 15: 25-32

Yesterday I spoke about the Prodigal Son and as I continued to study the story for the first time I saw myself also as the other brother. I can easily relate to the prodigal because of choices I’ve made in my life, but then I learned that I often respond like the older brother.

The older brother was telling the Father about the many things he had done and how they should have amounted up to something. He was striving to be acceptable by his hard works and efforts. Giving value to what he thought was important and missing the whole point of what really matters to God.

The beautiful part of his story is that the Father came out and pleaded with him to come in and celebrate, reminding him that He was always with him and and everything He had was his. The Father had already given him everything and it didn’t require works on his part. The sad part of the story is that the older son was angry and refused to go in.

Our striving to do and be enough for God is only keeping us away from all that He has already given to us. God is inviting us to be a part of participating in the celebration of the lost being found. That is our greatest purpose here on earth, to share the good news and celebrate the dead coming to life and the lost being found.

It’s time for me to let go of the record keeping and join the celebration. To share the good news and join the Lord in welcoming home the prodigals.

Stop striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth. – Psalm 46:10