34 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
34 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
+++
|
||
title = "Luke 15:25–32"
|
||
date = "2023-01-02"
|
||
+++
|
||
|
||
### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk15.25-32)
|
||
|
||
Surprise! The story of the prodigal son isn't over yet. Remember that the son
|
||
that squandered his share of the inheritance has an older brother? Do you
|
||
remember what got Jesus started with telling these stories in the first place?
|
||
|
||
While the father has gotten his household to celebrate the return of his son,
|
||
his firstborn comes in from the field and wonders what is going on. When he
|
||
finds out it is about his younger brother, he gets mad and refuses to go in to
|
||
celebrate. His father comes out to ask him to come in, but he accuses him of
|
||
playing favorites, because he never got even a small feast for his friends
|
||
despite faithfully serving his father for so long. So the father reminds him
|
||
that he is going to inherit everything his father will have, and has enjoyed
|
||
being with his father the entire time. Yet, that doesn't negate the suitability
|
||
of celebrating his brother's return.
|
||
|
||
Ever see a new believer join the church and start shaking things up because
|
||
they are so on fire for the Lord? Notice how it makes the old sticks in the mud
|
||
uncomfortable? That's more or less what was happening with the Pharisees and
|
||
the older brother in the story. God was doing amazing things in people's lives,
|
||
and the traditionalists were unhappy about it because it wasn't according to
|
||
their way of doing things. But God isn't constrained by how we've done things
|
||
before, or even how He has done things before. His only constraints are His own
|
||
character, and He will have mercy on whom He has mercy.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
Remind us that we are sinners saved by grace, and no better than anyone else.
|