The Parable of the Prodigal Son: the "older brother" angle.

 So many things to learn about God's love for the sinner in this parable, even in the life of the older brother who was angry that his dad never gave him even a young goat to celebrate with his friends despite all of his hard work, notwithstanding the fact that he also got his own share of the Father's estate at the same time as did his younger brother. Hear this from Christ Himself in Luke 15:12–

“11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.”

Remember what the Father said upon the return of the son who had squandered all of his inheritance, all after embracing and kissing the returnee: 

22 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate."

Unlike the Father who was overjoyed at the return of his lost son, the older brother was angry, especially as the Father showed love to and celebrated the sinner son. See the account below:

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’"

This older brother is like a Christian who believes that you must give to get from God or deserve His blessings, not realising that in Christ, we are joint heirs with our Saviour and that the only reason why he did not devolve in worse sins than his brother is  because of God's mercy that kept him from devolving into his base fleshly self-- like Peter before he denied Christ. "There is none good but God" says Christ. The older brother went as far as saying that the Father never gave him as much as a kid to celebrate with his friends despite his hard work! But remember: 

“The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.”

The inheritance was already his, but he felt that his father expected him to do things to earn it. He could have asked for or even taken a kid to celebrate with his friends at anytime without fasting and sowing seed to deserve it from the Father! See the Father's response to the older brother:

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Just imagine what would have happened if the father had been away when the rebellious son returned and he had to deal with his older brother instead. He would have been met with anger and rejection. Worse, he would believe that his absent father felt the same anger towards him because of his sinful ways, that his father would NEVER give him anything freely and that he needed to slave his way back up into the father's good graces in order to receive His benefits.

But see our Abba Father's love for us in His response of love towards the prodigal son. He FREELY gave to the UNDESERVING son who simply TRUSTED IN THE FATHER'S GOODNESS -that his father would not turn him away. The lesson--

Beware of those who preach the "older brother" message today: angry and "wrath of God"-filled preachers who present our loving Abba Father in Christ as an angry and hard taskmaster whose desire is to punish you for your sins, make you cry for your dinner and let the devil have a go at you because of the sins that you are trying so hard to give up, as if even they could save themselves from their sins. See Matthew 1:21-

"And she will have a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Notice "...He will save His people from their sins." Christ came to save us from those very sins that we struggle with and try to stop doing in our bid to be "good Christians." His people are those who need salvation from their sins, not Pharisee-types who think that they can be good (be like God) by themselves. 

Pastors and leaders, by God's Grace, ask God for Grace to not emulate the religious Pharisees who dragged the adulteress to Jesus Christ the Light of the world for stoning but could not, as it is written in John 8. Immediately after this episode is where Christ says these words:

"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12.

I put some words in bold for emphasis. Beloved,Jesus Christ the Light of the world was right there to save them all. The adulteress remained in the Light. But the Pharisees did not Follow Him. They slunk back into their Darkness of trusting in the flesh/human effort at being godly/like God, this after the law that they presumed to be able to keep showed them that they were just as guilty as the adulteress. God's word in Ephesians 5 shows us that as it was with the self-righteous and darkness-hugging Pharisees who presumed themselves to be good, religious leaders and churchgoers who walk in the flesh/trust in human effort for godliness in the least always have vile, secret sins beneath their facade of holiness, and can never cast the first stone. It comes with the territory. We see this in Ephesians 5 which says of such:

"11 And don’t even associate with the servants of darkness because they have no fruit in them; instead, reveal truth to them. 12 The very things they do in secret are too vile and filthy to even mention. 13 Whatever the revelation-light exposes, it will also correct, and everything that reveals truth is light to the soul."

Beloved, Christ says: "There is none good but God." As He did with the adulteress, any ungodlinesses (lack, disease, depression, demonic oppression) or whatever sins we have that is brought before the Light of the world, He Himself saves us from them all. And freely without carnal/fleshly works like 70 days fasts and other arm of flesh/human effort-driven works of the law which only act as a barrier to receiving from Him—

“For if you are trying to make yourselves right with a God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s Grace.” Galatians 5:4.

Since Christ is Saviour from sins, those who, like Peter before he broke the First and Eight Commandments, erroneously think that they can be sinless by themselves, such have no place for Christ in their lives. Those who challenge God as Peter did when he implied that Christ was wrong about his then upcoming denials; those who trust in the flesh/human effort by thinking that some sins are beneath them do not qualify to be His people. Beloved, no such person exists. Such confidence in self is the definition of “every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” See why God sent His own Son to die for us in Titus 2:14–

“He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Wonderful as they are, good works and obeying the law aren't what make us right with God and enjoy His Grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour.) Romans 3:20 says--

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

Like many churchgoers who think that they can fast, sow or obey their way into earning a portion of God's goodness (protection, provision, prosperity, peace,) the younger son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son who had "wasted his fortune in reckless and immoral living" returned home with the mindset that he could earn his keep in the Father's house, but God's word in Deuteronomy 21 shows us what he really deserved-

"18 If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19 his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 21 Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid."

Like the lost son, all have sinned and gone astray. Death (preceded by earthly ills) is the fate of all who have sinned and think that they can come to God to earn their keep with their works in the Father's house. Man simply cannot, beloved. Only by Grace (unmerited favour) through faith (belief in God's goodness) are we saved. 

Beware of "older brother" types who get angry when our heavenly Father showers those who return to Him with Grace - undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour - as He did the prodigal son upon his return. The "older brother" message aka trying to earn God's love, protection, provision and salvation when all that He has is already ours in Christ Jesus is what is being passed off as Christianity in many places of worship today. Beware of such.

So ask the Lord to open your eyes to see His Grace, beloved of God. Like the Father in The Parable of the Prodigal Son, our heavenly Father in Christ is waiting to love you into wholeness (from all sins and all ungodliness) in His loving embrace. 

Believe Right and you will Live Right.