Classic No Fair

Luke 15:11-32

“I will set out and go back to my father,” v18.  Music to a father’s (and mother’s) ears. I can imagine Dad on his knees each night praying, “Son, come back to me. Come back.” So when it happened, the emotions must have been overwhelming. Dad’s prayers had been answered.

One of the most powerful things we can do as parents is pray for our kids. And our prayers get really fervent when they leave us – physically, emotionally, spiritually – and we beg for their safe return.

Our Heavenly Father calls out to us when we stray and rejoices upon our return too. We may think God has enough going on, he’ll never even notice we’re gone, but he notices and wants nothing more than to be reunited with us. He likes the admission of sin part, but that's an added bonus. The important thing is that we’re home.

Now this is how I imagine the older brother’s perspective… “Are you kidding me?!? I can't even believe this!” It's hard for him to see the situation through any lens other than the one of sibling rivalry.

Just as I picture Dad praying for his son’s return, I envision Brother saying “Good, now that he's gone it's all mine. Dad is mine. The fields are mine. The money is mine.” So the horrible idea of having to share it with this screw-up is just as overwhelming as Dad’s joy.

I wonder, does the older brother eventually come to see this as a blessing or does he hold on to the anger? Does Dad’s lost and found speech pierce through and change his heart? I'd like to think so – that everyone has a happy ending. Sometimes it's the one who never left who needs to return.

Finally, I can only imagine the joy when the Father has all his children under one roof living happily together. What a glorious feeling that must be.