Do not fall into the trap of religion and legalism as elder brother did.

The parable of the elder brother

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'” Luke 15:28-32

The background.

Due to the criticism leveled against Jesus by the Pharisees and religious and the teachers of the Law, Jesus said four parables. The criticism against Jesus by the religious leaders was this – “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” They could not figure out why Jesus welcomes sinners and even eats with them. The sinners and tax collectors were all gathering to Jesus to listen to Him.

We have discussed three parables in the previous lessons. These parables give the answer for their complaints and moreover reveals the heart of the Father in heaven and His Son Jesus Christ, who came to seek and save the lost sinners. We have discussed a lost sheep, a lost coin, a lost son already. Now as a footnote Jesus is adding this fourth parable. Somehow people tend to avoid this elder brother parable. However, there is much to learn from the parable of the elder brother. In fact, it is critically important to understand what Jesus meant us to get from this important footnote by which he ended up the lost parables. If we lose to understand this important addendum, then we lost all about the grace of the Lord. Do you know there are many people in well-known Christian churches who never understood the point Jesus is making in this story?

The background is explained in verses 17 to 24. It says there when the younger brother came to his senses, he said to himself how many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! He made up his mind. He understood the mistake he made. He said I am going back to my father’s house. He said I am going to say to my father, Father, I have sinned against heaven and you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. As he walked toward his father’s house, he was worried whether his father is going to accept him back because he destroyed all the wealth his father gave him. Now he has nobody, he was living in sin county enjoying the sinful pleasures of the world. When the money is gone, his friends, girlfriends, and all left him. He had no food. He even wanted to eat the pig’s food. However, his master would not even give him pigs food to eat. Such a low estate. This is the outcome of sinful life. It looks pleasureful and attractive. However, the consequences begin to bite back. Are you in such a place now? Are you paying the consequences of your sinful life? Like this young man, get up and walk to the heavenly Father’s home and admit your sins. You are not late. He will embrace you and accept you back to his loving home.

The younger brother came to his sense.

Now his father saw him while he was still a long way off. His father felt compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. This is all he could say. Even before he could say ‘make me like one of your hired servants, his father interrupted him and ordered to his servants this – quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“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.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Celebration began.

You see the father and all his household, including all the servants started celebrating the return of the lost son. Now here comes the older brother. The camera is focused on him now. The elder brother walked toward the house from the field. When he came near, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. He said, your brother came back home, and the father had killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.

Elder brother angry and won’t go into Father’s house.

Now, look at the attitude and heart of this elder brother. It says there, “the older brother became angry and refused to go in.” He was so filled with a savor that he got angry and refused to step into the house. Therefore the father went out and pleaded with him. However, he said to his father these angry and complaining words. “Look! All these years, I have been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!”

You see the contempt and hatred the elder brother had toward his younger brother when he came back home. He is claiming he never disobeyed his father’s words. This definitely portrays his pride and arrogance. He never disobeyed is definitely a wrong claim. He thinks he is perfect and all good. However, there is no truth in his claim. Secondly, he says this son of yours. He is not considering him as his brother. He has contempt toward his brother and his father, and that is evident in these words. He says this son of yours squandered your property with prostitutes. He can only see the wrong thing his brother did. He could not see his lost condition and no mercy or kindness toward him.

Dearly beloved, if we do not have the heart of the father in heaven and Jesus, he will never show kindness, mercy, compassion, and love to others. Are you seeing people around you with Jesus’ eyes or with your contempt, suspicious and hateful eyes? It all depends on how you and I view people around us. If we do not view people like Jesus and heavenly father does, then we would never reach out to them and show kindness, mercy, and compassion to them.

Characters in the parable.

In this parable, the father of the lost and elder sons is the picture of God- the heavenly Father. He is also a picture of Jesus Christ because Jesus said and is recorded in John 14:9, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” The Father and Jesus Christ are full of grace, compassion, and love toward sinful people. He loves sinners although he hates sins. Jesus himself said he came to his world to seek and deliver the lost sinners. The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son all show the picture of us who are lost. The prodigal son was rebellious, unrespectful toward his father and left him and went too far country to live a pleasureful and sinful life. He shows our picture. We were far away from God. We did not honor him. We disobeyed God in many ways. We were lost and did not have fellowship and friendship with Him. Now the prodigal son ended up in the pig’s place. He was starving, and no one would give even pigs food for him to eat. In such a low estate, he understood the sin he committed. He arose and decided to go back to his father’s house.

The elder brother lived in Father’s home but never knew the Father’s heart.

Now the elder brother is a picture of someone who is living with the father in his house of grace but never understood the concept of God’s grace, compassion, and love. Listen, it is possible to live in God’s house year after year and do not possess the heart and character of God. This is a scary thought right? You may be going to church and attending all the services. However, you may look different from the Father. Remember the Father is filled with grace, kindness, mercy, and forgiveness. The elder brother although he lived with him all these years, never got the character of his father. He never understood the grace of God. The elder brother is the picture of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the religious teachers of Jesus’s day. The elder brother is the picture of the church-going believers who never understood the heart of the Father in heaven and Jesus Christ. It is a picture of all religions. It is not a picture of true Christianity. I am sad to say such elder brothers are still in our assemblies and Christian churches. Are you one of them? If so this parable is meant for you.

The elder brother was angry when he found out his brother came back home. He was angry toward his father because he accepted and showed love toward him. Do you know what these elder brother-type people do in today’s Christian churches? Suppose one believer messed up his life somehow. Sometimes the mess up may not even be caused by this believer. Maybe someone else did something bad and he got affected. Whatever the situation is these elder brother-type people are adamant that he or she should never be allowed to come back to the church. They would say, ‘do not allow him or her to participate in church activities. They say ‘look at what he or she did. They committed sin. Remember do not accept him back. They consider such a person as an outcast. Such pious acting religious false leaders possess secret sins and immoral lifestyle, but they are quick to blame well-intentioned and grace-oriented believers. The Lord pronounced ‘wow’ on such leaders. “Wow” means judgment already pronounced on them and waiting to get executed.  To make it worse, even after many years still they would not let them off the hook. I know a first-hand experience a Christian congregation which is proudful in their doctrinal knowledge of the Bible, plays these elder brother tactics on an ongoing basis. The leaders of such churches always rehearse and quick to point out what happened in the past. They do never-ending gossip techniques. They are the people of religion like our elder brother in this parable who are in the house of the Father but never grasped the heart of God. They are in the house of God but not belonging to the house like our elder brother in this parable. They attend church services, read the Bible and pray, they give money to Church, but they never got the remotest idea of the heart of the Father in heaven. Year after year they grow in legalism and emphasize performance and excellent ‘outward testimonies’ based life, but never grow in grace, love, and compassion. Such pious acting religious false leaders possess secret sins and immoral lifestyle, but they are quick to blame well-intentioned and grace-oriented believers. The Lord pronounced ‘wow’ on such blind leaders. “Wow” means judgment already pronounced on them and waiting to get executed, unless they repent of their unrighteous actions. 

Bible says in 2nd Timothy2:1, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” In 2nd Peter 3:18, Peter’s final words are these, “Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Peter understood and experienced the grace and forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ, don’t you know? Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:1, “As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.”

 

 Who really is our Father in heaven and Jesus Christ?

The LORD God declares about Himself in Exodus 34:6-7, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” The passages emphasize the character of the Father in heaven. He wants to do mercy over judgments every time. God is merciful, compassionate, forgiving, looking constantly for the wayward children to come home. Bible says God in Psalms 107:87-9, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalms 145:9, “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” 1st Chronicles 16:34 says, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalms 145:9 says, “The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

You see the LORD is good to all people. Listen he is good to all, not just for few self-claimed righteous people- the Bible declares. His compassion is on all he has made. Wonderful truths to keep in mind, right? Jesus said whoever seen him has seen the Father. (John 14:9). Therefore God the Father and Jesus Christ have the same characters.

Religion and Christianity.

Do you know even a Christian can be influenced by the trap of religion? Religion is based on performance, perfect testimony, actions and so forth. Christianity is not a religion. It is based on a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Religion says do, do and do. Christianity and grace say, it is already done by the Son of God, Jesus, and now come and receive salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life. Christianity says it is finished. The blood of Christ is already poured out and paid for your sins. Christianity says come and accept the free gift of forgiveness upon confession of your sins and turning to the Lord. The blood of Christ washes away all your sins. When religion looks for performance, true Christianity looks for growth in the grace, love, forgiveness, and compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you still possess the heart of the elder brother, it is time to understand what is grace is all about. Stop getting angry because the Father in heaven loves and accepts sinners when they come home. The Church and believers should celebrate all such occasions.

Jesus said, and it is recorded in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” It does not matter where you were. It does not matter prodigal sons messed up their life and ended up in pigs’ place. Prodigal’s son was in the father’s house. In modern language, he was in the church. However, he became rebellious, disobeying, selfish and demanding. He wanted to spend life in pleasure. However, he came back to his Father’s house, and he ran toward him and kissed him, and celebrated his homecoming.

Those who are elder brothers, who got into traps of religion, listen to this. Father comes out to you and says this, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 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!'” (Luke 15:31-32).  

If you have not come home to the loving, gracious, and compassionate Father in heaven, you can come home now in a small prayer now. Pray after me. “Father in heaven, I know I am a sinner. I lived away from your presence and love. I repent of my sins and sinful decisions. Please forgive me. I believe Jesus Christ died and rose again for my sins and his blood can wash away all of my sins. Please save me and accept me now. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, please let us know by going to the contact page of www.teachbible.org and sending us a note.