The Older Brother
2/24/2008 AM
By Matt Stidham for the Whitewright Church of Christ
I’d like to begin by telling you a story this morning.
This story is a pretty common family story...while you’re listening to this story, some of you might be able to think of a family you know that could very easily fit into this story.
It’s a story about a father and his two sons. I’d like to talk about the father first. He was a hard worker, and he also had many employees that were hard workers as well. The father in this story had secured a great fortune. His home was full of all the riches anyone could ever imagine. This man was very wealthy, and loved his children very much.
Now let’s look at this man’s two sons.
The older of the two sons was a hard worker himself. He was dedicated to the family, and worked hard for the family. He shared in his father’s wealth, and enjoyed all the benefits of his father’s household. This young man was the son that every parent wishes they had...followed the rules, was very dedicated, and did a lot to please his father. In fact, he had worked had and served his father well in the family business for many years. This was the ideal son.
The other, younger son, well, he was kind of the black sheep of the family. He was a free spirit if you will. This son was interested in himself...what would make him happy, what he might want to do. This young man strikes me as the type that probably tried to get away with all he could. Maybe he was a bit lazy. He seems to be the type that lived by his own rules, with little regard for the consequences...he was only concerned about what would benefit him, and make him happy.
Well the brothers grew up together. And much like any family the had their moments of disagreement over exactly what should be done, and how to do it.
But one day, the younger son decided he’d had all he could take of his family. Even though his father had given him so much and provided for him...he had all he could want, he just couldn’t stand it any longer and decided he wanted out.
He went to see his father. Now I don’t know the exact words that were spoken, but I can imagine the conversation went something like this...
“Dad, I’m sick of living by your rules all the time. You think you’re so smart, and know what’s best for me but you don’t know me...I know what will make me happy, and all you try to do is keep me from enjoying life. I want out! I’ve seen your will, and I know that you plan on giving everything to my brother and I...I’ll tell you what, give me my half now, and I’m out of here...you won’t see or hear from me again because I can make it on my own!”
Well...as you can imagine, the father was probably hurt, but not really surprised. You see, this father was a very wise man and he had seen children rebel before, but he loved his children very much...and the fact that his younger son wanted to turn his back on the family really hurt the father. But the father loved his son, and decided that he wouldn’t force his will upon his son...after all, he was a grown boy and could make decisions for himself. The father gave the younger son his money and the younger son headed out on his own.
Fast forward a couple of days. The younger son has now loaded up everything he owns and has head out as far as he could go from his home. He began by hitting all the parties... He was the life of the party, sharing his new found wealth, buying all the drinks, partying with anyone he could find. I imagine this young man trying anything that someone would put in front of him...alcohol, drugs, prostitutes...you name it. He was living it up.
Well, what usually happens to a party boy who doesn’t work happened to this young man. He woke up one morning and realized that his wallet was empty, and so was his stomach... he had no food, and on top of that things weren’t going too well with the economy either. There hadn’t been rain in a while and so food was short...so short that he couldn’t find any handouts from anyone. He wasn’t really qualified to work in a lot of areas, but he did find his way to a farm...feeding pigs. That’s hard work. I’ve spent some time around pigs, and if you’ve never spent time around pig styes...don’t. It’s not a pleasant experience. But that’s all this young man could do. Things got so bad for this young man that he wished he was as as well off as the pigs were...at least they got fed regularly, and really had nothing to worry about.
The young man realized he had made a mistake...a big mistake. He decided he would head back home. He didn’t have anything left to call his own, except the clothes on his back, so packing didn’t take very long. He got to thinking about home, and how much he missed it. He remembered all the people that worked for his father, and even the hired hands around the place had it better than he did. That’s what he needed to do. He began to walk back toward his fathers house.
This must have been the longest walk of his life. Have you ever had to walk somewhere you really didn’t want to go? Maybe the principal’s office at school? It seems like the hallway will never end. It’s a long and agonizing walk that really gets you to thinking about what you’ve done.
That’s this walk for the younger son. He had a lot of thinking time on this walk. He began going through a little speech...
“Dad, boy I’m sure glad to see you again!...” NO NO. “Father...yeah, father. Father, I’m sorry. I’ve sinned against you and heaven. I’m not worthy to be your son anymore. But dad? I’ll gladly become a hired hand around here...that is, if you’ll let me back.” That might work! He thought.
As he continued to walk closer and closer to his home, he continued to practice that speech. Over and over...the words pouring out of his heart. Until finally he got close enough to see his home. I can imagine it now. His Father is sitting on the front porch in the swing, and he looks down the long driveway down the road a piece and sees his son.
Well the son is still practicing the speech. He’s making his way up the driveway when he notices that his father is running toward him until his father throws his arms around the son and kisses him.
The son begins his speech, but his Father cuts him off and yells to one of the servants
Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
The son was amazed...the father took him back, without hesitation, without begging and pleading, the father took his son back...and not as a hired hand either, but as a true son. What a relief!
That’s a great story, and when Jesus told it in Luke chapter 15, he could have easily ended the story of the lost son there...but it doesn’t end there.
You see, we’ve kind of forgotten that there’s another key member of this family...the older brother.
This party gets started and the celebration is well under way. And when the older brother comes in from the fields he hears all the sounds of the party...the music is blasting, he sees the dancing and asks one of the other workers, “What’s going on?” Well the servant tells him
’Your brother has come,’ he replied, ’and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
Now you would think that the brother would be happy...he knows that his younger brother is home, safe and sound. He knows how much his father loved that younger brother and knew how much his father wanted the brother to come home...but he wasn’t very happy for some reason.
READ Luke 15:28-32
The Older brother just couldn’t get over the fact that his little brother who wandered off was being treated so well. He felt that he deserved a better treatment than the younger brother...after all he had been the faithful one, but what the older son didn’t realize is that there would be great rejoicing and equal treatment for the one who came back as well.
The older brother probably wanted some sort of punishment, some sort of revenge against the brother...or more likely, some recognition for following the rules...acting the way he was supposed to. But the father doesn’t operate like that. The same is true for our heavenly Father.
In the two stories Jesus tells right before this he tells us how God operates.
Luke 15:7
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Luke 15:10
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Most of us look at this story and focus on the lost son...this is a call to come home...well it is, but thats not the main purpose.
If you look at this whole chapter in Luke, Jesus is talking to one group of people in particular...the Older Brothers. The Pharisees and teachers of the law didn’t welcome sinners back, and neither did the Older brother in this story. Jesus tells us this and the two stories right before this one to show us that the older brother is wrong! The Father sets the terms of the returning of a lost son and he’s decided to celebrate over it.
NOW ARE WE GOING TO STAND IN OPPOSITION OF HIM? ARE WE GOING TO GO AGAINST HIS WISHES OR ARE WE GOING TO REJOICE AND CELEBRATE OVER THE LOST SOUL?
All of us fit into this story this morning. Some of us here are the Lost son. We’ve wandered away from home and have realized that we’re lost without God. We’re lost without his forgiveness. We’re surrounded by pigs and the only way out is to come home.
Some of us are the older brother. Some of us have trouble accepting the lost one back home...we have trouble letting go of the resentment and anger we have toward the brother, towards God, towards everyone. And we can’t put our foolish pride behind us and welcome a brother home by rejoicing with the father.
And the father in the story? He shows us how we ought to act. How we should extend that welcome, and acceptance, and we should rejoice when the lost come home.
Which character are you?
