The older son went about his work day after day, just a good son should. There was one day, however, that was remarkably different. He returned to his father’s house to hear what sounded like a celebration…. It was a celebration!
One of the servants told him that the celebration was for his younger brother who had returned home. The fattened calf, normally set aside for a an important guest, had been slaughtered for the feast. At this news the older son boiled with anger! HE had not made poor choices in life, not like his younger brother. It was not enough that his younger brother had returned home, they were throwing a party! Anyone would be angry! How insensitive.
Have you ever felt like that? Have you ever found yourself doing what you were supposed to be doing, yet you were overlooked or taken advantage of? Life’s inequities can often arouse anger. After all, hard work and dedication should be rewarded. Excellence should be rewarded. Personal sacrifice should be rewarded. Honesty and integrity should be rewarded.
In many respects the older son had every right to be angry. The younger son had disrupted the family enterprise. It was not simply a matter of taking money from the family’s savings account. Livestock and property were probably sold in order give the son his part of the inheritance. In addition, the family name was undoubtedly tarnished.
Perhaps the greatest inequity was that the foolish younger son had made his way back home and expected something more. A person could easily reason that the younger son was leeching off the older brother’s share of the estate.
Sometimes Christians feel a sense of anger toward fellow Christians who have wandered away from Christ but later returned. The younger son is a picture a Christian who has chased after a life of sin for a time, but later returned home to Christ. The foolish younger son should have known better, just as every Christian should know better than to leave Christ.
The older son displayed an attitude of arrogance. He had accepted his brother’s exit from the family and had effectively forgotten him. Now, he felt that the celebration for his brother’s return was unfair. It was unfair because of his brother’s sin AND because of his own righteousness. In HIS righteousness HE deserved better than his sinful brother. When a Christian is angry about the return of an erring Christian the same arrogance may appear.
The father said to the older brother: “My child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.” However, the older brother could not see that all the wonderful blessings he enjoyed from his father. It is possible for Christians to have the same blindness. Yet, blessings in Christ abound for every Christian.
The selfish arrogance of the older brother had displaced something. What was missing?
Earlier in Luke 15, a shepherd left ninety-nine sheep that were safe to go in search of his lost sheep. A woman went to great effort to find her lost coin. Yet, who went in search of the prodigal son, that is, the lost brother.
When a fellow Christian rebels and turn from God we should respond with compassion and stive to restore the severed relationship.
May God destroy in us any jealousy or arrogance that would displace our compassion for our brother who errs.
Mark Stinnett
April 6, 2025
