January 28, 2026

Luke 15: 11 – 32 (NIV)

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said . . . ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. . . . Not long after that, the younger son . . . set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. . . . When he came to his senses . . . he got up and went to his father. . . . Meanwhile, the older son . . . heard music and dancing. So he . . . asked . . . what was going on. ‘Your brother has come . . .’ The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. . . . ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’”

No man has the right to question or resent the outpouring of God's love in saving . . .  any man, from sin and destruction.*

We are moved by this portrayal of God’s love for his wandering child. Perhaps you can relate to the prodigal child who has come home at last but what are your feelings about the older son? Here is a checklist to help you compare yourself to him: 

1. He stayed home; appeared to be faithful and obedient. When I have strayed from God, I’ve never really gone very far (what that means theologically is another discussion), so perhaps I am more like the older brother. Do my actions hide a rebellious heart?
2. While the younger son was out wasting their father’s money, his older brother was also living on Daddy’s charity. What God gives to his wandering child takes nothing from what he gives to me. Do I harbor resentment against my brother because I think he’s having more fun than I am? 
3. The older brother knew how sad his father was so why didn’t he go look for his brother? Perhaps he could have helped him or even talked him into coming home. How much do I care about the lost people in the world? 
4. Why did he resent his brother’s homecoming party? I pray that I am not so mean-spirited! 

We must be careful about reading meaning into a parable that Jesus never intended. We might interpret this story as an analogy about our failure to seek the lost but I don’t see that so much. Where is the father’s command to go look for the brother? I will leave it to the experts to excavate the true meaning of this parable. In the meantime, let’s learn from the homebound son’s attitude and behavior. Let us bask in the Father’s love and obey his command to seek and save the lost.

Being lost is never fun.  Being lost and realizing that no one is looking for you is even worse.*