The Elder Son

‘The prodigal son’ is a story played at the background, and still our focus needs to be Jesus and the complaining Pharisees and Scribes. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ Imagine Jesus gently saying to the Pharisees and Scribes it is only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because these who are called the sinners, the sick, the poor had no life, social, emotional, or religious. They are coming to life.

The words ‘you are with me always and all I have is yours,’ have lot to speak. They remind of the belongingness we have with God, a whole embracing experience of God’s love and life. We have the assurance of every blessing, grace, healing, and strength. Being at the heart of God is a home experience, where we grow, express ourselves, and learn the will of God. Knowing the heart of God is important to experience the homely freedom. No narration or description can create the bond of belonging. God desires that all may have life. God pours out life especially those who are empty, broken, abandoned and helpless. This generous pouring out of his life is what we call mercy. It produces new life and joy, causes flowering and fruition. It is only right we should celebrate and rejoice.

The elder son who only stayed with the father did not belong to him. He could not be happy with the pouring out of his love for the younger son. Though he stayed with the father, it did not cause him joy. In a home where there was freedom and joy, he functioned as someone who slaved for the father, never disobeying his orders. It was the tragedy of the Pharisees and Scribes, and the story of many of us also. It is easy to identify with the faulty character of the prodigal son, and condemn our wrong doings and romanticising the love of the father. It is also crucial and serious to reflect how we experience the belongingness to God, the freedom of being with him, experience of a home with God, learning the will of God. It is also important to rejoice seeing the pouring out of the life into those condemned, exploited, persecuted, abused and are helpless. The sonship in the house of God is to ensure life and joy to all. It is also important to have the same attitude of God in our approaches.

God has more pain when his love is not understood. Hear these parables:

As the celebrations began the father asked the servants to bring the son to the hall with new robe, sandals, and ring. The servants could not find him. He was not found in the house. Immediately they began searching everywhere to find him. After long time they found him in a place where the countrymen grew pigs. Wearing the robe, sandals, and ring, he was sharing his sorrows to the pigs. My father was a loving man, I could not understand that. I wasted everything. I am full of dirt. How can I stay in that house? I must punish myself. Having suffered the punishment, the father will be happy to receive me.

Hear another parable:

The elder son accepted whatever the father said. Immediately he set himself into action making everything ready, food, decorations, dance, wine, everything. He celebrated the return of his brother. Father was very happy with the elder son. But the elder son had arranged his men not to let the younger son and the father see another day. He did perform well.

Hear yet another parable:

The elder son made a wooden heart and a beautiful narration about the love of the father. To show that he loves the father he went to the village and asked all to love his father. He thrashed those who hesitated. 

Where do we find ourselves? Being with the father at home brings a new life to us. We can produce fruits from the new creation in us, the fruits of the new man.