The Parable of the Older Brother

How to Respond When God Blesses Others

Traditionally, the Parable of the Lost Son has been taught as one story. But I have taken verses 25-32 and separated them from the rest since these verses give us a different set of teaching about the older brother. I think we all can relate to the older brother. As Boice remarks, “Many find it easy to sympathize with the older son. I know I do. ... We are like that faithful, hardworking, obedient son -- so we suppose.”

My wife and I decided to live close to my family and her family so that as our children grew up, they would get to know their grandparents and other family members. My two brothers and sister all moved far away. My wife used to become upset when my siblings would come to visit Mom. Since we visited often, the plastic plates and simple fare were the norm. But when my brothers or sister came to visit, Mom would clean the house, bring out the fine china, and work hard to cook up something special! I always understood that this was a special dinner for all of us, but for a long time my wife felt like the older brother in this parable.

Verse 25

Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

It is apparent that the brother knew something was up. He did not normally hear music and dancing when he walked up to the house. Our natural response would have been to investigate and join in the fun, but it seems like the older brother was upset from the onset. Maybe he had an idea what all the commotion was about, or maybe he was just angry that something was planned and he wasn’t informed. For whatever reason, instead of going into the house, he stopped and searched for answers.

Mellor comments, “The elder son was one who had always remained at that very home from which the younger had wandered, and to which he had at last returned. He had been a faithful son, doing his father’s commandments.... But he was a somewhat narrow good man. He was a type of thousands among the Jews, and of thousands still among Christians, who look with jealous suspicion upon all who have been once abandoned and now have repented and turned to God. They have never fathomed the depths of sin.”

In many ways this parable can be applied to how Christians view others. There are a lot of church members that look down their noses at the way other Christians do things. They think others are too casual and too modern, or they think that others are too loud and too demonstrative, or they think that others are too quiet and too traditional. We probably all have been the older brother at one time or another.

Verse 26

And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant.

The older son called one of the servants to find out what was going on. He could have found out soon enough by simply walking in. But he was angry already. Whenever there is something new or different, often our first instinct is to feel uncomfortable. In many ways the older son represents Christians who have been serving Christ for many years.

As we get older, we find that many things about the church and about our traditions are challenged. When change comes, we do not feel comfortable. I have now seen three generations of children being raised. Each succeeding generation seems to me to be more lax in their discipline with more inappropriate behavior from the children. This could cause me to be very upset with today’s children and chase them away from church. Instead, I try to understand that society is changing. And I try to do my best to reach these children for Christ even if it means I have to be a little more patient and a little more tolerant than I would ever have been with my own children.

Verse 27

And he said to him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.”

The servant explained what was important to the father -- the younger son was found safe and sound. It would be easy for us to think like the older son. We could criticize the younger son for wasting his life with bad choices. We could call him immature and irresponsible. We could say that he doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment especially since we have been so faithful and so obedient. We could feel all these emotions. But the father could only see his love for the son who was now found safe and sound. This really should be our attitude toward other Christians. They may not be as well dressed as we are. They may not be as clean as we are. They may not know our Christian traditions or understand the Bible as well as we do. But if they have been found safe and sound, we should rejoice. This is the point of this parable.

In today’s society, people will come to us who have been living in a culture of drugs, promiscuity, and selfishness. If we have been a Christian for many years, it will be difficult to relate to the immoral behavior to which most of our society is exposed. Let us not find ourselves to be in the position of scorning or looking down on those whom God loves.

Verse 28

But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him.

The older son was angry. So angry that he refused to participate in the celebration. There are many churches in America today that are angry and refusing to join in the celebration of what God is doing. It is easy for us to become set in our ways and think that our way is the only proper way to worship and honor God. Many churches are scoffing at the perceived shallowness of some of these modern-day movements. Instead, we should be rejoicing that sinners are coming to Christ. The older brother was angry because he was jealous.

I like to say that we are a traditional church reaching out to a new generation. The traditions of the historic Christian faith are important, but it is also important that we reach out to a new generation. We cannot reach a new generation without making some changes in our approach. Society has changed in the past decades. If we are truly mature, we will be willing to get our hands dirty and help those who need to be more fully instructed in the faith. But if we are only angry and jealous that other churches are growing by the hundreds and even thousands, then we need to listen to the words of the father. Notice here in verse 28 it says the “father came out and entreated him.” Perhaps God is coming to entreat us. We need to listen to what he is saying.

Martin Luther wrote, “Too many Christians envy the sinner their pleasure and the saints their joy, because they don’t have either one.”

Verse 29

But he answered his father, “Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.”

We find the real reason for the son’s anger. In spite of his years of obedience, he never saw such a feast that his brother has been given.

Taylor relates the story of how one man accepted Christ a few weeks before he died. As he faced death he was filled with a wonderful joy and peace. As Taylor was leaving from one of his visits with the family, the man’s brother-in-law followed him down the stairs and complained that he had been serving Christ for twenty years and had never experienced such joy as his brother-in-law who had only been a Christian for two weeks! That previous Sunday Taylor’s sermon was about this very parable of the Older Brother. He looked at the man and told him, “I preached about you last week.” He then explained Christ’s parable of the Older Brother and the brother-in-law saw how he had become filled with envy. He then viewed his dying brother-in-law in a new light. After telling this story of the man and his brother-in-law, Taylor wrote these insightful words, “Now, that incident, occurring just at that precise time, has given a new point to the parable in my view ever since, and makes me far more anxious to get the elder-brotherliness out of my own heart....”

Verse 30

But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!

The older brother is so upset that he refers to his brother as “this son of yours” instead of “my brother.” We used to do that when our sons were growing up. If they were misbehaving, I would tell my wife “your son did this bad thing.” When they were bad, they were always the son of the other spouse. That’s probably because we never wanted to admit that we might have had something to do with our child’s improper behavior.

The older son is justified in condemning the activities of his younger brother. What he doesn’t understand is the depths of God’s mercy. What he is really saying is that all that the father had done for him all those many years was worth nothing compared to this one feast that the father had held for the younger son. Have you ever felt this way?

When my grandson Caleb was born, five year-old Emily was thrilled and took it upon herself to be a little mother to the new baby. But three-year-old Jonathan wasn’t too sure about this new arrival. It took him longer to accept the new baby in the house.

Are we the same way when new Christians join God’s family? Are we slow to welcome them? Are we upset that God doesn’t seem to bless us as much? When we feel this way, it’s because we are overlooking all that God has done for us all these many years. We are truly blessed by God, but we take these blessings for granted. The one, who has never received these blessings before, naturally overflows with excitement and rejoicing. Perhaps we need to learn from the example of the younger son to be more grateful for all that God has given us.

Verse 31

And he said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.”

Here is the father’s blessing -- “all that is mine is yours.” God has blessed us so much. We should never feel jealousy toward anyone. We should only rejoice whenever anyone finds Christ as their Savior. Do you realize that all that God has is yours? If we would realize this, we would be a lot more receptive to others. Instead of being jealous and angry with others, we would be loving them and encouraging them to find Christ. And when they do, we would be the ones organizing the party! God has blessed us abundantly. These blessings should fill our heart with so much love that we embrace all our brothers and sisters in Christ -- even the dirty ones, the simple ones, and the ones from an immoral past.

Verse 32

It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.

When speaking to his father in verse 30, the older son calls his brother “this son of yours.” Now in verse 32 the father reminds him that he is “your brother.” The older son wanted nothing to do with his brother. But the father reminds him that they are still brothers. He wants his older son to treat the other son as a true brother.

My wife used to warn my sons when they were younger and angry with each other that they needed to put their anger aside. She said, “Someday Mom and Dad will be gone and your friends will have moved away. But you will always have your brother.” I think this is what the father is trying to remind his older son -- “you need to put your anger aside because he is your brother.”

When Christians get mad at each other, we need to remind ourselves that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all part of God’s family. We should love one another, not fight with each other. Let us learn to show the same love and mercy that the father showed. And let us learn from the older brother to not allow jealousy or anger to hinder us from embracing all those that the Father loves.

Footnotes:

Mellow: The Biblical Illustrator, vol. 13, pg. 191-192, Baker Book House

Taylor: The Biblical Illustrator, vol. 13, pg. 195-196, Baker Book House



	A Study of Luke 15:25-32