THE OTHER SON
“…but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.’”
Luke 15:29 (NLT)
If you’ve been around church for a while, you likely know the story of the Prodigal Son. Most versions focus on the younger son who squandered his inheritance and hit rock bottom, only to be welcomed home with open arms by his father.
But there’s another son—the older one—who often gets overlooked. He stayed, obeyed and did everything right. Yet when his brother returned, he didn’t join the celebration. Instead, he reacted with bitterness, rejecting his brother and his father’s grace.
The father noticed his older son was missing from the celebration and went to him. He listened to his hurt, reminded him of his place, and gently explained they were celebrating because the lost had been found.
In all his obedient actions, the older brother lost sight of what it meant to be a son and, in time, a brother. None of us is immune to the quiet trap of self-righteousness and entitlement, which always leads to a bitter attitude when we see others experiencing God’s faithfulness. It’s easy to start tallying up our good works, thinking we’ve earned a special place. But we’re all saved by grace, and grace alone keeps us. When we forget what it felt like to be met by God at our lowest, our hearts can grow cold, making it hard to welcome others with joy.
If we distance ourselves too far from that first moment we were met by love, the first time we encountered the grace of God at our worst, our lives will drift into the sleepy trap of entitlement and self-righteousness. And from that place, it becomes nearly impossible to extend grace to others, whether in their good works or their failings.
Even the most seasoned saint needs a daily encounter with the forgiveness Jesus extended to us on the cross. Fresh grace fuels and sweetens our relationship with God, but it also empowers us with a joy-filled attitude and ability to receive others as they return home to Him.
APPLICATION: Today, ask God to remind you of the grace you received at first, and to help you extend that same grace and joy to others finding their way home.
PRAYER: Father, thank You for Your grace, which reaches both the long-faithful and the newly returned. Help me remember and extend grace to those around me. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?