January 19
The Older Brother Too
“…and his father came out and began entreating him.”
Luke 15:28a
As we cry out for the lost, offering constant prayer that prodigals will come home, it can be very easy for us to feel like the older brother. We may not be casting judgment upon the prodigals, but we feel like the love and rejoicing extended toward the prodigals is not coming our way. In those moments, we would be wise to remember this neglected fact from the parable of the prodigal son: He went after the older brother too. We know how the father’s love compelled him to run after the prodigal while he was still afar off. The prodigal, though, was not the only son the father went after. Feeling a certain sense of exclusion, no doubt experiencing some hurt and heartbreak that manifested themselves as anger, the older brother refused to join the celebration for his brother who had returned home. But just as the father was searching for the prodigal, so too he went after the older brother. We are told that the father came out to the older brother. He left the party to attend to his son. The father left the party to let his son know that there was never any reason for him to feel as though he were excluded. All that belonged to the father was his; he always had access to it. The father left the party to let his older son know that he was just as loved and valued as the prodigal who had returned. Sometimes we feel hurt and excluded like the older brother. Sometimes we wonder where our celebration is. Our heavenly Father, who relentlessly searches for the prodigals, will also leave the party to come to us in our hurt. He will leave the celebration to comfort us and speak the truth we need to hear. He will leave the 99 at the party to come show us the love we need when we feel like there is no party for us. The love of the Father is such that no one has to be left behind. Whether He has to go toward a pig pen to find you, or if He has to leave a party to find you, He will come to you wherever you are. There is nobody for whom He will not search.
“…and his father came out and began entreating him.”
Luke 15:28a
As we cry out for the lost, offering constant prayer that prodigals will come home, it can be very easy for us to feel like the older brother. We may not be casting judgment upon the prodigals, but we feel like the love and rejoicing extended toward the prodigals is not coming our way. In those moments, we would be wise to remember this neglected fact from the parable of the prodigal son: He went after the older brother too. We know how the father’s love compelled him to run after the prodigal while he was still afar off. The prodigal, though, was not the only son the father went after. Feeling a certain sense of exclusion, no doubt experiencing some hurt and heartbreak that manifested themselves as anger, the older brother refused to join the celebration for his brother who had returned home. But just as the father was searching for the prodigal, so too he went after the older brother. We are told that the father came out to the older brother. He left the party to attend to his son. The father left the party to let his son know that there was never any reason for him to feel as though he were excluded. All that belonged to the father was his; he always had access to it. The father left the party to let his older son know that he was just as loved and valued as the prodigal who had returned. Sometimes we feel hurt and excluded like the older brother. Sometimes we wonder where our celebration is. Our heavenly Father, who relentlessly searches for the prodigals, will also leave the party to come to us in our hurt. He will leave the celebration to comfort us and speak the truth we need to hear. He will leave the 99 at the party to come show us the love we need when we feel like there is no party for us. The love of the Father is such that no one has to be left behind. Whether He has to go toward a pig pen to find you, or if He has to leave a party to find you, He will come to you wherever you are. There is nobody for whom He will not search.
Written by Reverend Dustin Elder
Posted in 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting
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