When we read this parable we are always concentrating on the younger son who was living wildly, wasted his inheritance, and then went away squandered all his money and became homeless, destitute, starving. Then he realizes that even the servants at his fathers house had it better than he did. He decided he would go back to his father and repent and ask for forgiveness. His father receives him with open arms and forgives him. We know that this parable is referring to God and us. When we stroll off the path and make mistakes we know that if we repent and ask, He is just to forgive us and take us back. But the second part of this scripture is what I want to talk about. Let's see what the older brother did. The story tells us, he heard all the laughter and saw there was a big party going on, so he asked one of the servants what was going on. They told him, your brother has come back and your father has killed the fatted calf and is celebrating his return. He was lost but now he is found.
The older brother then gets angry and jealous. He says he has served his father all these years and kept all his commandments, yet he never threw him a party. This is where we need to look at this parable and make sure we do not miss the important message here. You see the older son was living by the law, so to speak. He was making sure he did everything right so that he would keep his fathers favor on him. He did not even care that his younger brother had fallen into sin, and now had come back to live right. In other words, all he cared about was why he didn't get a party, when he had been out working his fathers fields all day. This parable is telling us that we no longer live by the old law, but by the commandments Jesus left us with. When Jesus died on the cross, He provided a way for us, he left us with these two commandments, to love God with all our hearts, minds, body and soul, and to love our neighbors as ourself. You see when you are doing these two, you will automatically keep the old commandments. If you are not walking in Love, you might as well not worry about trying to keep the other commandments. You see although the older son was keeping the fields for his father, he was not walking in love toward his brother. He was only thinking of himself. So remember, when you do good and live right, don't do it out of law, but do it from your heart out of love for Christ and your fellowman, and God will bless you in all other areas of your life.
Luke 15 vs 11-13...then he said a certain man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father. Father give me the portion of goods that falls to me. So he divided to them his livelihood and not many days after the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living....
vs 17-18...but when he came to himself, he said, how many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you....
vs 20-32.....and he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet, and bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant? And he said to him, your brother has come and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf. But he 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 has 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.....
Neta
No comments:
Post a Comment