A Call to Celebration
The father said, “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 15:32)
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2). Those words, muttered by a group of religious leaders, prompted Jesus to tell the parable of the son who squandered his inheritance.
These Jewish leaders considered Jesus’ behavior unsuitable conduct for a rabbi. They avoided sinners. Jesus, however, sought them out. He said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).
A crucial question in this parable is, who was truly lost? Yes, the younger son disrespected his father by asking for his inheritance, leaving home, and squandering his money “in wild living” (15:13). Nevertheless, when he realized his wrongdoing, he returned home to the father who loved him, forgave him, and welcomed him home.
The elder son, on the other hand, remained at home, working for his father. But note his attitude toward his father and
his younger brother. He was angry when his brother returned, and he refused to let go of his animosity and participate in the celebration (v. 28). His bitterness toward his father spilled out in harsh words: “All these years I’ve been slaving for you, yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends (v. 30, emphasis mine). Was his silent resentment any less sinful than his brother’s obvious rebellion?
The father responded to the elder son with the same love, joy, and forgiveness that he extended to the younger son (v. 31). But there is no indication that the elder son repented. Focused on himself and his perceived mistreatment, he remained lost.
In this way, Jesus answered the self-righteous religious leaders. They were as lost as the elder brother. They didn’t perceive their lost condition either. And because of that, they condemned Jesus and felt no compassion for others.
Two marks of a true disciple of Jesus are the desires to seek the lost and to rejoice when they are found. May our attitude mirror that of the father in the parable. May we “celebrate and be glad” whenever anyone responds to the unconditional love and grace God has also extended to us (v. 32).
DIG DEEPER:
Read Luke 15:1-32. Jesus tells two shorter parables before He tells the story of the prodigal son. What does Jesus emphasize at the end of those two parables (vv. 7, 10)?
Read the younger son’s words in verses 17-21 and the elder son’s words in verses 29-30. Have you ever expressed similar feelings to your heavenly Father? What do you suppose He’d say to you in either case?
How can we avoid attitudes like the elder brother’s? Reflect on 1 Samuel 12:24, Psalm 103:1-5, and Ephesians 1:3-8.
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of a series, The Parables.