Jesus... a true elder brother

I'm studying the parable of the lost son (Luke15) and it has been extremely eye opening. Most people read this parable and focus on the younger son. After doing some research and reading Timothy Keller's book "Prodigal God" I have come to the realization that Jesus is also focusing on the elder son as well.

The parable is a beautiful representation of God's unconditional love for us when looked at through the eyes of the younger son. He basically tells his Dad that he is dead to him. So he takes his life savings and runs away to party hard in Vegas. Then he hits rock bottom. After wasting all his money he starts drooling over what pigs get to eat. I bet the disillusion of the statement "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" really started to sink in at this point. I can't imagine how much he longed for what he gave up... the love of his Daddy. Thus begins the writing of his apology speech and his repayment plan so he can come home. You know how the story goes. The way the father responds to the younger brother really puts substance to 2 Peter 3:9. The God that so loved the world always patiently waits to embrace his lost son's and daughter's once again. God doesn't only celebrate the return of his children he longs for it with every ounce of himself.

Then we read that the elder son is jealous of the younger son. Some of you know exactly how it feels to be the elder brother. In our culture working really hard to earn what you receive is the norm. Nothing is free. At least that's what my parents told me. So it seems like he got screwed right? In this story the elder brother's character was meant to engage the Pharisees and Religious leaders that were listening to Jesus. They were probably upset that the elder brother was getting the shaft. In the eyes of the listeners the elder son should be rewarded for his loyalty and dedication to the father. He did what he was suppose to do.

What I learned is that both sons have something in common. They share the same experience of walking out on their father. Both of them alienate themselves from the father. Both's sons were concerned with their inheritance and the plans they had. But only one son understood his lostness and repented.

Why doesn't Jesus share the resolution for the elder son? I honestly don't know the answer to that question. Maybe Jesus left the story unfinished because he knew telling the proper ending through a teaching wouldn't be enough. Why? The story needs to become "flesh". Jesus knew that he needed to level the playing field for all the younger and elder brothers in this world. Maybe Jesus decided to show them instead of tell them. We can try as hard as we want but we can never be a true elder brother. Jesus is the only true elder brother. A true elder brother will give up anything to please the Father because he trusts in his love. As Jesus is hanging on the cross he utters his last words "It is finished".

Jesus made something very clear to me through this parable. God's grace has leveled the playing field. Everyone is invited to the party! "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Take it to the cross

As I was driving to work this morning I was thinking about something that's been bothering me for the past few months. I don't want to share what that particular thing is just yet. Regardless of what, it has been heavy on my heart. There are a few things you have to understand before any of this will make sense. This is a conflict between my perspective and the perspective of someone else. I feel like God wants me to do something and this person doesn't think I should do this thing. This person also has authority over me and I want to honor them but it conflicts with something I feel called to do. Trust me, this situation is much more complicated than my last statement but the detailed description will have to wait.

Anyway, back to this morning. As I was thinking about this in my car I started to have conversations with this person in my head. If you have done this before then you know what I'm talking about. It's one of the quickest ways to feel like you're right. These conversations involved me telling this person how I feel. We all know how that goes. I didn't just share how I felt. I let them have it. I pulled a few unkind words out of my vocabulary and I crafted my sentences in a way that I knew would cut deep. My blood would start pumping and I would start to grab the steering wheel so tight my knuckles would turn white.


The reality is that this is going to happen and probably very often too. We have to be very careful that we don't stay in these oneway conversations for very long. When we feed our ego like that we may actually believe that we know what's best. 


Then I had one of those moments. If you had one you know what I'm talking about. I felt a little crazy for getting all worked up over something I can't control. I remembered a scripture verse I read yesterday. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"declares the Lord. Isaiah 55.8. I began to realize that these feelings and thoughts were not coming from a good place. My thoughts were not God's thoughts and my perspective was definitely not God's perspective. They were actually creating a situation that didn't really exist.  


I realized that most important thing in our relationship with God is trust. I realized that I have no idea what's going on outside of my own thoughts and my own perceptions. I also remembered an illustration that Jesus shared with a large crowd of people. He told them that if you are at the altar about to give a sacrifice and you remember that you have something against your brother or your brother has something against you. Then you are to drop everything and immediately go and attempt to restore that broken relationship before you can worship God properly.


It's true that I don't understand the motives of this other person. It's true that my first priority as a Christian is to love unconditionally. It's true that its all difficult to understand at times. It's still true that God is calling me to make this decision. 

So I don't know what's next but I am going to talk with this person one more time. In the meantime I will  offer my thoughts and my perspectives on my life and how it should go to Jesus. I will worship him for what he has done on the cross. Today I will swim in the ocean of his grace.

My prayer,
Jesus, I don't want to be angry with my brother. I don't want to live my life trying to prove that I know what's best. I want to live my life with ruthless trust in your love for me and for this other person. I know you are calling me to do something and I pray that it does not get in the way of my love for this other person and your love for me. Amen.