I find it amazing how many people, when they are reading the BIble, put themselves in the story. This is not bad and can offer some great insights on how we are supposed to live. However more often than not we get it so very wrong. For instance, reading through David and Goliath how many people put themselves in the shoes of David? All sorts of analogies pop up from this too. “If I have the faith of David I could take down any giants that stand in my way”. Even the song “voice of truth” by Casting Crowns compares us to David “oh, what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant…” The overall theme of the song is that we pay attention to what Jesus is saying and not what the problems around us are saying. But even this song seems to be suggesting if we just had a little more faith to rely on Jesus all your problems won’t seem as terrifying and we’ll be able to handle them.

“oh what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant…”

Here’s the thing 1) doing this writes Jesus out of the narrative or at best relegates Him to a minor role in The Bible and 2) we then miss the truth of what is trying to be conveyed in the Bible. For instance in the story of David and Goliath we are NOT David. Jesus is David. Louie Giglio wrote about this in his book “Goliath must fall” (I highly suggest getting a copy and reading it if you want to see how Louie puts the pieces of this together to help us see our own giants and how Jesus has already put them to rest).

I want to look at another story though that many people read and get completely wrong. It’s one that has meant more to me over the last 10 years of my life than at any other point. It’s the prodigal son story. If anyone has been to church for more than an hour they probably have heard of this story.

Basically, the younger of the two sons goes to his father and requests his inheritance early. By requesting this early inheritance the younger son is basically saying “dad, I do not want to wait for you to die for me to get what I know I deserve and what I know is coming to me. I wish you were dead now so I can have my inheritance now. Since you are not dead I want to pretend that you are and now give me my money and just die old man!”

The father provides this request and the son moves away squandering everything. He is so broke that the only meal he can find is one with the pig slop. He comes to the realization this is stupid that his father’s servants have it better and he decides to go back home beg for mercy to only be a servant so he doesn’t have to live like this any longer. He starts home and his father sees him coming up the road. The father pulls up his clothes and sprints toward the son. They cry they embrace the son asks for forgiveness and they go into the home and party because the son has returned home.

A lot of people end the story here and make the comparison to themselves to the younger brother. They see how they were once lost and now that they’ve turned toward Christ He invites us into His home for a party that will last forever. Most people overlook the other story here. It’s true some of us were that but even the best of us miss the point of this story. They miss the story of the older brother.

After the son arrives home and the party has started the older son who did not run away, who did not wish for his father’s death, and who did not squander everything he had, is in the field working. He did not see his brother come home (unlike his father who was looking for his lost son this brother was not looking for him. Since He wasn’t looking he never saw the younger brothers return.) and he asked: “what is going on in the house”. The fellow worker said “your brother has returned and your father is throwing a party for his return. They even killed the fattest calf for this party”!

The son says to himself “I will not go in there.I did all the right things, I acted how a good son would act, and I never once demanded something from my father that would cause as much shame as my brother had”.The father comes to the field to plead with his older son to come inside. Still, the brother, holding onto his anger toward his brother on how his brother treated his father,  refused to come in and partake in the party.

“…I did all the right things, I acted how a good son would act, and I never once demanded something from my father that would cause as much shame as my brother had”.

This is the part I truly resonate with! My sister did a lot of very similar things the younger brother did in this story, right down to the part where she wished my mom and dad would just die. She was not around for about 10 years but every birthday and Christmas mom would still send her cards and gifts and checks (checks because if the check cleared we knew she got the deliveries since she would never acknowledge she got them. Sometimes she would just write “return to sender” on them, thus refusing even the gift my mom would give to her). My mom’s friends would send cards and other family members would do the same. even though my sister treated my parents lower than dirt mom, at least, continued to do everything she could to reach out to her and would always anticipate the day of her return.

I stayed home. I was the one who finished college, I was the one who worked around the house, I was the one took care of our dogs when my parents went on vacation… One day there was a call my mom received and on the other end was my sister. My sister wanted to see my mom. From what I recall my mom did not hesitate she began booking flights and took an immediate vacation and mom, in today’s concept, ran to my sister even though she was still a long way away. Several months went by before she was in close proximity but when my sister did move back home, you bet there was a welcome home party for her.

I thought where was my party? I was the one who didn’t leave, I was the one who didn’t make you cry at night while you were trying to sleep, I was the one you never had to worry about. All those friends and relatives who sent her birthday or Christmas cards, they never sent me anything. So basically, if I treat you like absolute crap, drag your name through the mud, spit on your legacy and wish you dead, I’ll get a party? I DESERVE this! I EARNED it! She did not!

Here’s the point. Most people believe they are the prodigal son in this story. I can tell you this. You ARE one character in this story! It is NOT the Father and you are NOT the younger son! Nope, you and I are the same person in this story,  we are that older brother. Some may say “no that’s not me” but we have to understand the reason this story was being told was to drive home the point of the response of the older brother. Here’s the thing, it is EASY to find sin and faults in other people but when we have to look in a mirror we all see a pristine prince or princess. But that is not true.

Want to know why we are in such bad shape in our society? NO ONE BELIEVES THEY ARE BAD!!!!!!! But Jesus is screaming at us “YES YOU ARE”! The older brother doesn’t realize His heart is ruined, my heart is ruined, your heart is ruined. Just like that older brother, I was looking for a reward for keeping the rules. I was trying to justify myself by keeping the law! The older brother wanted nothing to do with the Father, sure on the outside, he looked clean and upright, but on the inside, his heart was just as ROTTEN as the younger. I am also that rotten. I wanted my party, I wanted my stuff because it was all about ME!

No one believes they are bad but Jesus is screaming at us “Yes you are”.

I am not the only one who does this. We all think we are owed something because of how good we are. COME ON! You are owed NOTHING but the pit of Hell! Don’t believe that this is true about you? Consider this:

How many times have you asked, “why me”? I do not like “going after” anyone unless I implicate myself as well. In case you didn’t know my wife and I have been trying to have a baby for 3+ years with no luck. We are going to go to the fertility specialist next week. I have found myself in conversations with her saying “why do they get a blessing from a baby and we don’t” This is usually after we have seen someone smoking with a baby in the back seat with windows up. Or after we see someone who is totally neglecting or ignoring their baby because their phone is more important. How about those that even don’t want a baby they are seeking an abortion why do they get that blessing and I don’t?.  Why do we feel like this? becasue we have played by the rules and we have obeyed the law. Because of this God owes us a baby! NO WAY! God is not some genie that grants our wishes when we obey His law.

In fact, if obeying the law was the way to earn favor with God not one of us would ever receive anything other than complete destruction. I know I do not deserve a baby I have done nothing to be blessed in such a way.

Do you think this doesn’t apply to your life? Ask yourself; do you think that you deserve healing from cancer because you were a good person? What about free of financial worry? Have you ever thought “Why does that person get a salary double than mine? He cheats on His wife, He constantly lies to his clients. I have been a good employee and love my wife. I deserve that pay raise as much if not more than him”… This is the kind of thing that was going through the older son’s mind.”I DESERVE THIS”!

“I DESERVE THIS”!

Want another example? Have you ever found yourself asking “why is there so much evil in the world? Or why did such a horrific thing happen to such a good person?” These questions assume we are righteous before a Holy God and because of our goodness that God is OBLIGATED to do something about what we perceive as evil or horrific. We believe God is in our debt because of our ability to keep His law! You and I ARE NOT HOLY. God doesn’t owe us anything!

As parents, I hope that you pray that your child never comes to a situation like my sister was in or the younger brother. But PLEASE, more importantly, pray that your child doesn’t become the older brother. How many times have you said, “Why can’t you be like your brother He keeps the rules”? Seriously? in this case all you’re doing is reinforcing that rule adherence is what is important. WHERE IS GRACE? At least the younger brother is saved BECAUSE his circumstances lead him to repent and return in humility and brokenness. Please pray for your “good” child too that they learn the same level of forgiveness and brokenness. Even though the prodigal son went through some hard times HE WAS THE ONE THAT GOT SAVED! The “Good” son, the older son wanted nothing to do with The Father. I would much rather have a child that was saved regardless of life circumstances. No matter how bad it might get for them, life’s circumstances might be God’s way of trying to get them to come back to Him.

One last point. The older brother asked “why did you not throw a party for me and my friends” notice he didn’t want the father. He was after his own agenda. He was doing the same thing the younger brother did. He wanted to live a selfish life without his father’s involvement. He felt like he earned it because of how well he kept the law. However, He missed how amazing it was to live in the father’s house all that time his brother was away living in constant hunger.

This is something I did not understand at the time but have been heavily convicted of recently. Do you know why was I able to get my degree? Because I DID live under my parent’s roof and did not leave like my sister did. My relationship with my parents is much stronger than she has with them. I never went hungry and by living in their house what was theirs was also mine. I got to truly enjoy the blessings I had living with them and that is something my sister squandered by leaving. I was blessed because I was with them. Would I be willing to trade one big party for the years I had of blessing? NO WAY!!!!!! Does my sister wish she could have those years back she missed? does she wish she could trade in her one party to enjoy the daily blessings I got to experience? I have no doubt in my mind!

The older brother never realized that he was only looking at the present and he missed how special he was growing up in the protection of his father’s house. The older brother had His Father which is more important than all the “Stuff”. I had my parents which is much more important than cards or gifts.

Remember you deserve nothing but the pit of Hell. You are a selfish, greedy, covetous, liar who wants nothing to do with the Father. Both brothers wanted nothing to do with the Father. But one saw His shame and wickedness and came back! To him, grace was shown and was welcomed into the house. While the other in all his self-righteousness sat alone in the field. He missed the party. You are not good enough to get invited, you don’t even deserve to be invited in. However, Jesus wants you there and is inviting you in. He loves you too much to leave you in the field.