There are a ton of lessons from this parable. I have heard probably 10 sermons on the Prodigal Son and they're all very different! There is the story line that exposes the ingratitude of the younger brother. There is the elements of "coming to one's senses" as they reach rock bottom. There is the point that zero's in on how the father ran to the son. Phillips Craig and Dean even did a pretty cool song called God Ran off this passage.
Of course we see how the father celebrated the return of the prodigal's return. (I just noticed for the first time the term "prodigal" isn't in the Bible.) But the story ends with sad account of an older brother who struggles with this Father's sense of justice.
I think many of us can identify with the older brother at first glance it doesn't seem fair that the younger brother would get such a feast. It almost seems like a reward for being evil. We must have the father's heart and see with the father's eyes before this parable makes sense.
The most important thing we learn about the older brother is the condition of his heart. It is easy to compare ourselves to others and think we deserve more. It is easy to see the sin of a prodigal and compare our "staying at home". We can falsely conclude we're innocent and their guilty. The reality is the pride of the older brother - the superiority spirit is just as evil as the prodigals wanderings.
The older brother hears the music and celebration and he learns who its for. He comes to a cross roads. He can choose to think about himself and his position. If he does this he will obviously compare himself and see himself as superior. Or he can choose to do what the father does and simply focus on the fact that his long lost brother is home! If he ever truly loved his brother his heart is immediately filled with joy. I know - I have a prodigal brother and if he came to Christ right now and my family gave him 4 times the inheritance in celebration - I wouldn't care a bit. I 'm not living for my families inheritance. I haven't been loving my parents and working to be nice to them to gain something. I love them because I love them and I'm sure you feel the same way with your family. My family doesn't owe many anything.
When you begin to put yourself in the older brother's shoes and think about your family and what you would do - you begin to see how self-centered and egotistical he is. You can almost hear Dr. Phil in the back ground confronting the older brother with the words, "Its not about YOU!" You're brother is home - how can you be thinking about yourself at a time like this?
Like the Pharisees demonstrate over and over - the older brother is more concerned about their position and possessions than people! Do a study on how Lucifer became satan - this was his path.
Here's the harsh reality. Our response to other peoples' disfunction reveals our disfunction. How sad that it took the prodigal a lot of pain and loneliness to finally realize security in his father's presence was all he needed. Even more sad is the fact that the older brother never found security in the father. His neediness to be recognized and his inability to celebrate his own brother's return show that he really never was a son with his father's heart.
questions
1) imagine you had a sibling who squandered everything but got right with God and your family threw a big expensive party - how would you feel?
2) When others come to God and repent of their past do you tend to celebrate or judge their conversion?
3) What would it look like in your life right now to have more of the Father's heart for a prodigal?
prayer
Father give us more of your heart for the prodigal. Please show us how to focus on what you're doing and the joy of a sinner coming home more than what we think we should be getting. Forgive us of our selfishness. We know you've forgiven us of many sins even if they're not the "big" ones. Let us live out Luke 17:10 and after we have done all we should - we wills say, "we are unworthy servants - we have only done our duty."
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