When I was a child, my brothers and I sometimes quarreled and fought. Dad would come in the room and sternly warn us, “Boys, you better stop fighting right now or I’ll have you on your knees hugging and kissing each other.” Many of our childhood brawls ended with us on our knees embracing each other. There are many examples of sibling rivalries throughout the Bible, beginning with the story of Cain and Abel. Sometimes sibling rivalry has developed into civil war.
Jesus told a story of sibling rivalry – “a man had two sons” (Luke 15:11-32). This story is about a family and can only be rightly understood if we consider each person in the story. So, I refer to this story as “The Prodigal Family” (prodigal means “lavish, extravagant, wasteful). We should consider this story in the context of Luke’s gospel. Jesus was being criticized by the Scribes and Pharisees because he was dining with sinners. So he told three “parables of joy” to demonstrate the grace of God.
The younger son, suffering from a sense of entitlement, demanded his inheritance. By taking this action he separated himself from his family. He wasted his inheritance by living an extravagantly sinful life. His early choices and subsequent actions left him utterly alienated from his family and friends. Later, he found himself living and eating with the pigs and he “came to his senses” and returned home.
The father demonstrated prodigal grace.
…his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him… the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate (Luke 15:20-24).
The father graciously embraced his wayward and repentant son. The son was fully restored and this was cause for a great joy and celebration. Jesus said, “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).
However, the elder brother did not understand the father’s prodigal grace. He suffered from a sense of entitlement based in his responsible stewardship which provoked self-righteous anger. He said to his father, “Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours…” (Luke 15:29a). Like his younger brother, his sense of entitlement led to alienation. “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him” (Luke 15:28). He was unwilling to be reconciled and celebrate his brother’s return and restoration. He was indeed the responsible son, the righteous son; but he was void of grace and joy.
Just as with his younger son, the father extended prodigal grace to his elder son. He said, “Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours” (Luke 15:31). Both sons suffered from entitlement which led to alienation. Both sons were embraced by their father’s prodigal grace which led to restoration, grace and joy.
In the context of Luke’s gospel, the younger brother represented the sinners and tax collectors; the elder brother represented the Pharisees and scribes. There is joy in earth and heaven when a sinner repents. The Pharisees should share in the grace and joy of the prodigal God.
This story is a powerful call to prodigal grace and joy. The church is often divided into various parties: Catholic and Protestant, Protestant and Pentecostal, institutional and charismatic, traditional and progressive. Because of our schisms we resist reconciliation, we prefer not to celebrate together. However, we must realize that we are all members of the household of God. None of us should allow a sense of entitlement to alienate one from the other. Just as we have been embraced by the prodigal love and grace of God, we should likewise lavish a prodigal grace upon one another and embrace one another. Then there will be joy in earth and heaven.
