Most, if not all of us, are familiar with the Parable of the
Prodigal Son.
This parable can be found in Matthew 15
beginning in verse 11.
In it, the younger of two sons asks his father for his share
of the inheritance.
The father (though still living) complies and the son takes
his newfound wealth and moves to a distant country.
In no time at all, the young man spends all he inherited.
A short time later, the country falls victim to famine.
Hungry and broke, he hires himself out to a citizen of that
country.
This citizen gives the young man the job of feeding his pigs.
The young man is so desperate, he even desires to eat the
pods he is feeding the pigs.
In no time, the young man comes to his senses.
He decides to return home, confess his errors to his father and
ask to be hired on as a hand.
When the father sees his son returning in the distance, he feels
compassion and joy.
He runs out to meet his son, throws his arms around him and
kisses him.
Matthew 15:21 (NIV) - The son said to him, ‘Father, I
have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called
your son.’
The father calls to his servants and asks them to bring his
son a fine robe, a ring and sandals.
He then orders that the fatted calf be slaughtered for a celebration.
Matthew 15:24 (NIV) - For this son of mine was dead
and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
The man’s other son hears the noise of celebration.
He calls a servant and asks what all the commotion is about.
The servant tells him of his brother’s return and all his
father is doing to celebrate it.
The brother grows angry and refuses to go.
His father goes out to him and pleads with him.
But this merely fuels the brother’s anger.
Matthew 15:29-30 (NIV) - 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!’
The father then explains his actions.
Matthew 15:31-32 (NIV) - “‘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.’”
One lesson we can take from this is that God will welcome back
the truly repentant… no matter their past.
Yet how many Christians in today’s world find themselves
siding with the angry brother?
Perhaps even defending his “right” to be angry.
That is something we should not do.
Worshipping God in what we say and do is something we should
do, but it does not entitle us to anything “extra”.
It certainly does not entitle us to judge others.
And if someone with a repentant heart returns to God, we
should not become angry at God’s joy.
After all, God was just as happy when we came to our senses
as well.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on
Friday, September 6, 2019.
I’ll be back here on Friday, September
13, 2019
