Jump Start # 882

Luke 15:28 “But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him”

Any study of the parable of the prodigal son must include not just the prodigal and the father, but the older brother. This is a key part of this story. The father actually had two lost sons. One was lost in the far country and the other was lost at home. The prodigal came to his senses and realized he was lost and needed to come home. The older brother never came to his senses. The older brother represents the Pharisees who were critical of Jesus for eating with sinners. They avoided and shunned such people. Jesus accepted and welcomed them. Jesus acted like the father. The Pharisees acted like the older brother.

The older brother acts like many Christians. His words and actions reflect jealously, bitter feelings and a resentment towards the prodigal. Notice what the context shares with us:

• He was angry
• He refused to go in
• He complained to the father
• He felt cheated and neglected
• He refused to acknowledge a relationship with the prodigal. He called him, ‘Your son,’ not ‘my brother.’

The same father that ran out to the prodigal, must now leave the celebration and the feasting to go out and talk to the elder brother. I feel for that father. Both of his sons have issues. Neither of his sons act like he does. The older brother feels sorry for himself. He makes a great contrast in the way he has been treated. He claims he never got a young goat to celebrate with his friends, but the prodigal got the fattened calf. Goat and calf—big difference.

The older brother failed to count his blessings. He failed to see the rich relationship that he had with the father. The very thing that brought the prodigal home, the elder brother had, but didn’t appreciate.

The Pharisees had a deep love for the law of God. They had twisted their traditions and sprinkled their opinions through all of their faith, yet they grasped righteousness, law, authority and God. The sinners, whom Jesus was associating with, trashed God’s law. They disregarded the authority of God. They walked where the prodigal walked. The Pharisees, like the older brother in this parable, ought to have a great love for God. Instead, they felt cheated. They felt wronged. They could not do what Jesus was doing. They had no place for repentant sinners. Their way was to avoid, exclude and reject.

The same grace that the prodigal received, had been given to the elder brother. He lived with the blessings of the father. The father said, “all that is mine is yours.” The love, acceptance, comfort and security of home was there for the older brother, except he didn’t enjoy them. He wanted them and no one else, especially this rebel brother of his, to have the same. It didn’t seem fair, nor right to him.

There is a huge lesson for us. I see far too many walking in the steps of the older brother. For some reason, those who have been given grace and a second chance by God have a hard time extending that to others. We need God’s love and grace. But when others have trashed their lives, we want to throw the book at them. Why?

Remember Jonah? That’s where he stood. He was glad God didn’t let the whale digest him. Yet he still had a hard time giving Nineveh a second chance. Why? Remember the parable about the servant who was forgiven of a debt of 10,000 talents? His master felt compassion and released him from that debt. This same servant turned to a fellow servant who owed just a little bit, and beat him. Why could he not extend grace? He had been given grace.

We can be like this more than we want to admit. A young person acknowledges mistakes and sins in their life and instead of tears of joy and hugs, there are looks and whispers. The talk becomes gossip and we find ourselves standing outside the house with the older brother. He has a lot in common with many of us. We don’t like to see others getting attention after they have messed up. We don’t like to see grace for them. Throw them out. Lecture them. Throw the book at them. That would make many of us happy. But when there is a ring, robe, sandals and a celebration, we get bitter and grumpy and find ourselves outside the house.

The older brother refused to acknowledge a fellowship that God included. He would not claim the prodigal as a family member. That narrow, hateful and mean spirit is the very reason why some prodigals do not come home. They would, but they know how they would be treated. Could some of us be responsible for some staying away from God? Might we be the reason that a bridge cannot be built with God? Prodigals know the looks, the whispers, the gossip. They already feel bad. The church will only make them feel worse.

Shame on us for being like that. Shame on the older brother. Shame on the Pharisees. Every time a prodigal comes home we have the choice to act like the father or to be the older, obnoxious brother. Which will it be?

We are not told in this story if the older brother every got it. We don’t know if he went into the house. We wonder what he said to the prodigal the next day. Would their relationships be strained forever? You’d hope that the goodness of the father would rub off on them. It’s something that they would have to choose.

Two final thoughts:

1. Don’t let older brothers keep you from doing right. Don’t let the whispers, the looks, the attitudes of others keep you from God and Heaven. Many returning prodigals are closer to the father than those who have been at home all the time. Many church members may find out some day that they are not as saved as they think they are. I’ve seen the hurt that prodigals feel from those who ought to be embracing them. It angers me. It’s so wrong. Don’t let anyone keep you from Heaven. Don’t let a preacher keep you from Heaven. Don’t let a church keep you from Heaven. Don’t let yourself keep you from Heaven. Home with God is where you need to be. Recognize your mistakes. Come home a changed and different person. Your Father is looking for you every day. Home is where you need to be.

2. Let us never forget that all of us have been prodigals in our life. All of us have sinned. All of us have fallen short. Step up and be the forgiving one to the prodigals in church and in your family. Look for them and run out to them. Embrace them. Let them know that they are loved. The older brothers around you may frown upon what you do. They may talk about you as well as the prodigal. They may not come around if you have the prodigal in your home. So be it. It is their loss. You do what is right. You follow the example of Jesus. They accused Jesus. He kept on doing what is right. They wanted Jesus to shun the sinners. Jesus wouldn’t do that. They wanted Jesus to be like they were. He wouldn’t do that. The prodigals need people who will accept them and forgive them. They need someone who shows that they care. They need someone who will give a celebration. Can you do that? Can you overcome the attitudes around you and do what is right?

This ends our look at the prodigal son. We are in that story. It is our story. It is how God treats us, forgives us and loves us. God is good. God is forgiving. God can make right of the messes we have made. The prodigal son is a picture of God. This is what God looks like.

I will be putting this series together in a booklet. If you would like a free copy, email me at, Rogshouse@aol.com

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to come back home to you!

Roger