By Guest Columnist Spencer Sullivan, Pastor, Pelahatchie Baptist
Last month in this space, we reflected upon what most consider to be Jesus’ most famous parable – The Parable of the Prodigal Son. In this story, it is easy for us to see the shameful actions of the younger son. Yet, in the culture, how the father responded to the son would have been considered as shameful in if not even more so. What father agrees to such a shameful request? And then how could the father be overjoyed to receive him back after all the son had done? Yet, God is represented by the father in this parable. He is overjoyed to reconcile with his son who was lost. Truthfully, all of us rebel against and depart from our Heavenly Father’s perfect design and some of us would even be considered prodigals at some point in our lives. While God hates sin, He proved His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is amazing news for every one of us! Yet, there is more than one son in this story. Again, even if you are familiar with this parable, I encourage you to read the rest of the story. You can find it in Luke 15:25-32.
It is interesting that as the father decided to celebrate the return of the prodigal, the older brother wasn’t already there. He was working and likely overseeing laborers in the field. But, clearly, no one sent for him to come home. While this isn’t explicitly said in the parable, this likely indicates that the relationship between the father and the older son was not great either. At the beginning of the story, the younger son requested his inheritance, implying he desired for his father to already be dead. Now, as the older son enters the story, while he is seemingly obedient, the parable doesn’t really depict a father-son relationship, but rather a master-servant relationship. The sin of the younger son was obvious and clear to anyone. The sin of the older son is less obvious. While the younger son committed openly sinful acts, the older son’s sin is his pride. While both brothers had their sin issues, their issues are generally perceived very differently. For example, a person caught in sexual sin is seen differently than someone who struggles with pride and is pretentious. Still, we know from the Bible that pride is a big deal to God! For example, Peter writes: “…Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Pride is a tremendous barrier to knowing God. The older son presented himself here as if he had never done anything wrong. “Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command…” The older son viewed himself worthy because of his behavior while at the same time he viewed the younger son as unworthy because of his behavior. John 3:16 says: “For God so love the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes”…not behaves. I remember hearing someone recently say: God’s love is not based on behavior, but pride in behavior can keep a person from accepting God’s love. The older son was just as lost as the younger son. It was just a different kind of lostness.
In spite of the older son’s shameful reaction to the son’s return, the father clearly desired for him to join the celebration. The father pleaded with him to join the party. He wanted him to come in and celebrate as a son. But, the older son refused and Jesus ends the parable with the father saying: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” While we know this is a parable, the story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. What ever happened to the older son? Did he ever come around?
As so many of the parables do, the Parable of the Prodigal Son reveals what God is like. Our God is perfect and holy and just. But, He is loving and gracious toward sinners. He calls all to repentance and faith. Those that realize their need for Jesus respond. Those that do not realize their need for Jesus, don’t respond. May we all understand our desperate need for Jesus and humbly come to Him through repentance and faith.
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