The Prodigal and His Brother

Both the prodigal son and his brother were equally sinful. The younger son had not understood the purpose of grace, which is to grow into the maturity of holiness. However, the older son had never known his father’s merciful heart. He had always sought to earn his father’s love by obeying and doing. He could not accept that his father had always loved him unconditionally, totally apart from his good works. The truth was that his father loved him simply because he was born of him.

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’” (Luke 15:28-30, NKJV).

The older son was saying to his father, “All these years I’ve worked so hard to please you, yet you’ve never shown me this kind of love. At least, I have never felt it.” This sums up the root problem of the protesting son. He thought he had earned, through good works, what his younger brother had received through grace.

Every legalist has a difficult time setting aside the works of his flesh. Why? Because our flesh wants to perform for God! We want to be able to say, “I’ve earned my peace in the Lord. I’ve fasted, prayed, done everything to get the victory. I’ve worked hard, and now I’ve finally made it.”

If we are honest, we will see that our flesh always protests against dependence on the Lord. We don’t want to rely on his mercy and grace or acknowledge that only he can give us the power, wisdom, and authority to live as overcomers. We must be careful not to make the protest of the older brother. It is a protest of human uprightness, and it is a stench in God’s nostrils!