The Gross Younger Son

The parable of the Two Sons

Most people are familiar with this biblical parable even if they are not christian. In case you have not heard it; Here is the Cliff Notes version from Luke 15:11-32.

A man had two sons. One did all he was told and is basically the picture of a good son.

The other son was the bad son. The bad son did not do what he was told and was lazy and pretty selfish.

One day the bad son at the height of his lazy entitlement tells his father; "Your dead to me! Give me my money now!" The father gives the bad son what he wants. The bad son squanders all his money on whores and other disgusting and selfish things. Because of his reckless life and so called independence he finds himself penniless, living outside, doing slave labor, and so hunger he wishes he can eat the pigs food he is now tending over..

Looking back he remembers how good his fathers servants had it. He knows he brought this fate on himself and does not deserve forgiveness. But he has a plan. He will go back and beg for mercy and ask to be a hired hand cause he knows he does not deserve to be called son again. So he goes back home to beg for anything he can get.

The father, looking out for his son to return, sees the younger son approaching and runs to great him with tears in his eyes. (Which would have been unacceptable for a older successful Jew)He throws a party and without any condition set on the son, restores him to his previous (good) standing.

The older (good) son is pretty pissed when he learns what has just happened. He refuses to enter the "Feast of Love" because of the injustice he feels is taking place. He feels, that because of all of his "good works" he deserves the fathers stuff more than his brother does. He says, "You never let my friends and me have a fattened calf!" He is mad and is not liking how all this is panning out.

The father says something profound though. He says, "All that I have is your, come, we are celebrating the fact that your brother was dead and is now alive!"

It is left in the air as to whether or not the self righteous older brother enters the feast...


Here are some interesting things to note about this story:

• He did not do anything to earn his Forgiveness
• He did not do anything to earn his standing.
• There was no works, doing, plans, or anything else he did but come back. Grace is sufficient.
• The younger son did not deserve to be forgiven. He didn't even demonstrate he had "changed" his wicked ways.
• While the older son did "everything" right, he did not really care for the father. He lacked love.
• While the older son did everything right, You get a sense that the father was disappointed with his sons hard handedness.
• Humility and repentance trumps the righteousness of works any day. 
• We are accepted. God is pleased to receive us, waiting to throw a feast in our honor when we come back to him in humility. Period.

Long winded blog on spirituality but, worth some thought.. 

What's keeping you from the feast of love? Are you on older brother or younger brother? (No need for shame because both heart postures have some serious repentance to do.)