Devotion (Mark 15:11-32)

Prodigal Son Parable

When we read the Bible, often we try our best to put ourselves in the position of those people who are mentioned in the Bible. Last Wednesday, we read this parable from the perspective of the prodigal son. Today we read it from the perspective of the older son.

The older brother is angry. As he returns, he hears from a servant that his father is giving a party for his brother. This brother disowned the family. He disrespected his own father by telling him to give him the inheritance as if the father was dead to him. It was obvious from what the older son spoke that the news of his younger brother’s wasteful life including the downfall reached the ears of the family. Yet, on the return of this vagabond brother, his father not only welcomed him, but also was giving him a feast. No wonder he is upset.

We can certainly identify ourselves with this older brother. We are the ones who keep the church going. We are the ones who work tirelessly without complaints. We do not rebel. We do as we are told. We toil without being praised. Yet, we are to welcome all those who left church and now return for whatever reason. It simply is not fair to those who have always been faithful and long suffering.

The anger here is not out of jealousy. Rather it is about justice and fairness. Why should one who is faithful be ignored while the immoral and wasteful ones be received with fanfare? The father in the parable is treating the younger son in ways that the older one can justly complain. From the perspective of the older son, the father is treating the younger son too well while taking the older son for granted.

If we study church history, we see countless Christians who were like the younger son. They were the ones who took the Church in the wrong direction, who brought in all kinds of ungodly practices, who instituted immoral and unjust practices and who gave the Church a bad name. Seeing what they have done makes us angry. Yet, we are to live with faith that tells us in Christ all these horrible human beings would be forgiven. Due to these behaviours of bad Christians, many people refuse to do anything with the Church.

Against this anger of the older brother and those of us who feel sympathy for the older brother, the father gently explains. This father who so gently and warmly welcomed the younger son now turns his gentleness and warmth towards the older brother. That is, there is no anger from the father toward this older son who should know better. Rather, the father tells the older one to realize everything is now his. In a way the father is telling the older son that welcoming back the younger brother with gladness and joy is not a reward nor a positive acknowledgement of what he did. Instead, the feast is to recognize that the lost one is now found.

The older son is not left with a choice to come in and join the party or to refuse and stay away from the party. As the one who always listens to the father is shown the way to receive his own brother back. The father shows the way for the older brother. The older brother’s anger is not dismissed. In the father’s response is an opening to a different way of reacting to the one who once cut himself off from the family. 
Reading this passage from his view point, we know we feel hurt and feel we are often treated unfairly. Our anger stems from the unfairness as we experience life. However, hearing what father has to say, we learn that welcoming back the ones who leave us and cut us off brings great joy and complete our communion in Christ with all those who belong to God. In God’s grace, justice and fairness based on what we do often takes back seats so that we are joined to even those who hurt us as they hurt themselves.