Luke 15: 11
The well known passage of the Prodigal son resonates with us on two levels: first, with our experience as wayward and broken children of Christ, and second, in our identification with the righteous indignation of the eldest son. Understanding that Jesus is telling this parable before a group of known sinners (tax collecters, etc) and the Pharisees, we understand that he is simultaneously speaking to both groups, "check the box" in our heads and move on. At least that is how I have approached this study each time I have done it. Recently however, a friend pointed out the non-resolution for both brothers in the parable. We do not know what becomes either of the youngest son (other than that he is forgiven) or the eldest son (other than that he is angry/righteous).
We have each, in our own way, suffered the experience of the younger brother. Having tried to take things into our own hands, we find ourselves destitute and disgraced, covered in the metaphorical filth of our own sins -- hopeless and broken. In that moment, if we are lucky, we have also felt the grace of the Lord. We have been received by God and understand what it means to receive undeserved forgiveness... to make a mistake that is so bad that there is no possible way for us to erase it or correct the imbalance in the justice scales ourselves. Maybe, maybe, I have understood that part. In certain ways, receipt of that message is the easy part (we are overwhelmed by gratitude). So we can read the story of the Prodigal Son and say to ourselves "yeah, jeez, i get it. That is amazing."
This is why my friend's question struck me as so insightful... What happens next to the Prodigal Son and the Older brother? Since I think what happens next might actually be where, at least, personally, I need the most help. Why? Because my response to the gospel is going to be a human and broken response... A response that desires to put myself at the center. The same broken thinking that made me the Prodigal Son in the first place -- my culpability about believing in my own strength and power (the great lie), is going to be how I want to respond to the gospel. I am going to say "yeah, jeez, i get it. That is amazing, thanks for the grace. So what should I do now?" If I respond like that (which is how i always respond), I will end up like the Older brother. I will still believe in my own strength. I will say "great, ok, i'm going to be the BEST Christian. I am going to follow all of God's laws, I am going to be do everything the Bible says, I'm gonna..." In other words, I will have replaced one form of the great lie (that I can make myself happy, content, fulfilled with things that are not of God) with the other great lie (that I am good enough to do everything the gospel commands). I will inevitably turn into the Older brother, filled with a sense of righteousness. I will judge others based on where they stand in their own walks relative to me. My heart will be filled with a different perhaps even more distasteful bitterness. Why? Because we have failed to fully acknowledge our inability to do what we God commands. God commands us to love others as ourselves... That is NOT how the Older brother thinks of his younger brother's return.
So what to do? We need to approach Christ and the cross weekly, daily, hourly, continuously acknowledging that NOT ONLY are we the Prodigal Son, BUT ALSO the Righteous Older Brother. Our hope remains not in being able to fulfilled his laws, but in constantly acknowledging our sinful natures -- in giving up on the lie. Only then will that initial feeling of gratitude that we have when we receive grace stay with us... Only then do we even have a hope of having the response that the Lord desires for us to have towards other Prodigal Sons... Not righteous condemnation, but a joyous sense of brotherhood. We are all sinners, all redeemed by Christ.
CPP
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