Within five minutes of meeting this guy our eyebrows are raised and we’re asking ourselves, who is this angry young man?
We know him only as the older son. We first bump into him in Luke, at the corner of chapter 15 and verse 25. He has heard about the return of his wild, insolent younger brother, and subsequently, of the party their father is throwing in fete of his return. And he is ticked off! ! Incensed actually!
Since we’ve covered what took place between his younger brother and their father in a earlier post entitled, “The Prodigal and His Dad” dated 03/19/16. Feel free to catch-up it at your leisure.
Straightaway we’re looking at this older son…
If we are looking at this parable within a parable from the teaching perspective of Jesus, this is how it is theologically broken down for us.
The Prodigal son represents sinners and the father, Father God. Who is ever lovingly desiring for sinners to return to the safety of home. Similarly, is the vigilant father in our parable. Lastly, there is our older brother. He represents those who are churched, and perhaps like the Pharisees Jesus has talked to, those who feel a bit superior and angry truth be told.
How dare God, our Father show these dubious people , these undeserving, unclean sinners the same favor and mercy as us!
Now listen to how this older brother, the one who has always lived with his father, continually ever-dutiful, flips out when He learns from a servant about the house party happening at his address! He goes from a submissive, upright, ever-present son to a dangerously close mirror-image of his brother!
How?
Through willful rebellion. Just like his younger brother via thoughts, words and finally actions.
Showing even an iota of mercy has not even entered his hypocritical mind!
Watch as he steadily unravels. It begins with him rebuking his father, then by insinuating that he has been little more than a slave; and not in fact, the ever-dutiful, well-intentioned son he has depicted himself as being. Lastly, for all intents and purposes, he disinherited his younger brother by referring to him not as my brother but rather as that son of yours! (Lk. 15:28-30 NASB).
Remember friends, this is the person Jesus uses within this parable to represent the churched. It’s within this segment of the parable that we’ll find ourselves seated today…
Listen closely to the Words Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, “And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound” (Lk.15:27 NASB).
This older son represents a person who is actively serving God (vs.25). Yet, who unseeing doesn’t view himself as God views him—beloved, cherished, a recipient of anything at his Father’s disposal. Rather, he sees himself as a slave (vss.29;31).
Thus, by inference, his father is not seen by him as a beloved parent, but rather a master or taskmaster to be served, as if for wages or earnings; and not rightly, from a heart of joyful, loving thanksgiving! (vs29).
This son, by means of his prideful indignation, has not only shown his brother no mercy, but has lamentably, wholly missed the heart of his Father, and an invaluable lesson in love. Through this Father’s gracious, merciful example of unearned restoration we see the perfect salvation message, the very purpose of Jesus’ leaving Heaven to come to earth as a man.
So how did this son get this way? What was driving him?
Let’s observe…
Firstly, via his own irreverent, pompous approach to his Father (Ex. 20:12; Pr. 18:12).
Secondly, through his superficial understanding of his Fathers heart (Pr.9:10; Ps.111:10).
And lastly, listen to the use of his disrespectful tone. He exhibits a distorted, self-pitying view of himself revealing an unlit heart (1Jn.1:5; Pr.4:7).
He is reacting like a petulant child. He’s throwing a tantrum because he perceives daddy as showing unearned favor to his sibling…
I’m certain anyone who has a younger sibling cannot only relate, but has also likely heard themselves saying to themselves, or others man they get away with everything! It sure wasn’t like that for me let me tell you!
Sound familiar?
Sadly, and more to the point Jesus was attempting to make to the Pharisees, is that as God’s older children must be aware that often as a Body there is also a lack of mercy and compassion towards his younger children.
Deeper still, some older children (as a result of having a works…earn His love, and not a relational…unmerited love, understanding of Our Father) view themselves as seen by God much like this older son referred to himself, as a slave—I must do this for God or else. Therefore, by inference, the Father is a taskmaster; always looking to crack the proverbial whip! (vs.29;30).
I believe, and various commentaries seem to agree, that it is in this parable within a parable that the heart of the Father and the central message of how His church is to the treat sinners is brought home by Jesus (vs. 32).
Starting in Chapter 15, Jesus has spoken to the sinners and the church leaders (Pharisees and teachers of the Law). You would think that between these two groups it would have been the churched who caught hold of and ran with Jesus’ teaching. After all, they knew the Scriptures and had attended service and Bible-Study weekly right? So when Jesus takes them through the earlier two parables as a foundational build-up, in this His climatic radical new teaching series, rather than saying, yes please, and asking for seconds, the churched look at Jesus as if He has not only lost his mind, but that He is also a half-step off being demon possessed and perhaps just a step above those He had taught and had been dining with (see Lk. 14:1; 5:29; 7:36-39. Also, Mt.9:10-13; 9:32-34; Jn.9:39-41).
Have you ever experienced judgement in church rather than love and welcoming?
Have you ever met Christians who profess to be saved and know God, yet if they hadn’t told you, you certainly wouldn’t have guessed it?
If so, you have sadly met this week’s older brother…
Please allow me to invite you to stay just a bit longer and introduce you to the Father. After all, that is who Jesus has pointed the crowds towards throughout all of His teachings thus far.
This is the heart of our Father, the very heart Jesus was trying to communicate in this parable within a parable. Listen to it in Isaiah, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Is.49:15).
We expect the world, those who do not accept the Lordship of Jesus, to act unloving, reactionary, unkindly. After all some of us did when we were still of the world. But, here between us today, like then with the crowd, Jesus is reaching out to the Pharisees… the churched. He is looking to the whores, loan sharks, the outcasts, runaways, addicts, drunks and the teenage unwed moms. He’s looking out over everyone He sent His son to die for, every brand of sinner. I choose to leave you with the words of the Father so I will take you to where He sees His youngest son…known to us as the prodigal son, cresting the horizon. Just look at the Father’s heart for His lost children… “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Lk.1520 NIV).
And there you have, the heart of God for His children.
All of His children!
The Love of the Father for his repentant children is what was missed by this older brother, he didn’t get it. The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law didn’t get it. And sadly, most today don’t either.
When the Scribes and the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners”, and hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
This is what Jesus is saying to those who have been going to church for years and have grown rigid, hard-hearted, and coldly separatist. To those who feel aversion more than empathy, He says—these too are my children.
Let’s end here with the final conversation between our Father, this older brother, and subsequently us… “But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.” And he said to him, “My Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found” (Lk.15:30-31).
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