Too Good

The final lesson of this parable is often overlooked, but it is arguably the most important lesson of the parable for those that are saved. It is a key lesson on many topics, but especially forgiveness and jealousy. This portion is less about the prodigal son, and more about his older brother. The brother who did not turn from the father. The brother who stayed loyal to him, and honored him. He finds out about the celebration going on over his brother returning, but he refuses to join in. His father came to him in Luke 15:28-32:

“But he (the prodigal son’s brother) was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.”

The ‘good’ son refuses to join the celebration. He is jealous, angry, and bitter. In a sense his anger is out of defense for his father, but he is primarily jealous. What does he get for his jealousy? He misses out on the feast.

In so many ways we can easily act like this brother. Most significantly, we can often refuse to forgive someone who the Lord has offered forgiveness to. We can be upset because we have always been loyal to the Lord, and we have always been good to the Lord, but when this person who took all that the Lord offered to them and used it for evil is forgiven we get upset. Why should they be celebrated over, and not us? This line of thinking can extend to our personal lives. At our jobs a new employee can come in, and get all this recognition. Meanwhile, we’ve been slaving away at this same job for 20 years and have never even been invited to the Christmas party. We want to know not just when we’re gonna get what we deserve, but why do those who do worse than us get celebrated over?

Want to know what we get for having such a high opinion of ourselves? Nothing. We miss out on the feast. While those who are willing to forgive much because they’ve been forgiven much get to enjoy the rewards of it we get nothing for our bitterness. We get to stand outside, and be alone. God can plead with us to change our attitude, but we can even let our bitterness extend to Him when we see those we think aren’t as good as we are get blessed with friends, power, money, and what we view as a great life. We wonder why not us? This is foolish to wonder. It only keeps us out of the feast.