A "Good" Son?

A “Good” Son?

          The prodigal son is a well-known Bible story. I’m sure it has turned a lot of lives around. Sinners that felt miserable with guilt realized that their lives were not hopeless. That our Heavenly Father has unconditional love and will welcome the sinner and forgive all sins when the sinner has given up the sin. A very powerful and inspiring lesson. However, there are two brothers in the story.

          I always wondered why the “good” brother was treated so unfairly and ignored. Why hadn’t the Father given him parties and rings and bragged about the good work he was doing? He stayed home and worked the fields, for the Father, from sun up to sun down. By fields, the story means that he worked to save souls in some capacity. He was a model husband and dad; took the family to church every Sunday; and he helped with all church activities. A son any father would be proud of. Is this God’s idea of justice? To reward the sinner and allow the willing worker to fend for himself?

          I couldn’t understand why he was being treated so unreasonably. He was working in the fields and no one came to invite him to the celebration. He only learned of his brother’s triumphal return, when hot, tired and frustrated from a hard day’s work, he heard the music and laughter coming from his Father’s house. I could sympathize with his anger. It only proved, to me, that “good guys finish last.” I thought for a long time, why work hard and be good? You can do what you want, have your fun, and all will be forgiven.

          For a long time I had a problem with this story, until a friend set me straight. She explained that there were two kinds of humans represented. The prodigal is the “ME” generation, if it feels good do it. Selfish, thoughtless and uncaring. They go through life doing whatever gives them pleasure and he had the money to try it all. Then the money ran out, the friends ran out, he was broke and homeless. He woke up with a hangover and took stock of his situation. He hadn’t really enjoyed his life style for a long time. He just got caught up in a whirlwind and didn’t know how to stop. He was a drunk who had reached bottom. He knew he didn’t deserve to be forgiven and he didn’t expect a welcome, but he was not going to live like this any longer. He will apologize and work hard to earn his family’s respect. He knew that he would never leave his home in heaven again because the world has nothing to offer.

          The other brother was a Christian; a pillar of the community; in church every time it was open. He was also pious, self-righteous, judgmental and opinionated. He didn’t have the love of God in his heart. He was doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons. He had the respect and admiration of people because they didn’t know his evil thoughts. He despised the prodigal because of the shame he heaped on the family. He condemned the prodigal to anyone who would listen, while in his private, secret thoughts he lusted for the ‘fun’ he imagined his brother was enjoying.

          He didn’t realize that he was more sinful than the prodigal. If he was the Christian he pretended to be, he would have been overjoyed that a lost soul had come home to stay. He couldn’t have been angry that the prodigal was welcomed. Finally I understand. It was never the Father’s fault that the ‘good son’ wasn’t happy and didn’t know of the joy in the Father’s house. How many times in the Bible does it remind us that we are the children of God and heir to the kingdom? Your church membership, your Bible quotes, your good deeds won’t get you into heaven. You can fool your friends, but you can’t fool the Father. He knows your evil thoughts. Let’s hope the good son repented and joined the prodigal.

          Here are a few quotes as a reminder of God’s generosity.

Son, you are always with me and all that I have is yours.

Ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will open

It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom

The hairs of your head are numbered

I will open the storehouse of heaven and pour out a blessing of more than you can handle.

          God owns everything and He wants to give it all to us. If we don’t accept it, can we blame God?

 

          787 words                                              Loretta Ellen Edwards