It is meet that we should make merry, and be glad;

for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again;

and was lost and is found. Luke 15:32

 

         Boy, can I relate to the story of the lost brother. I was a prodigal’s sister. I saw the hurt his walking away from God caused our widowed mother. I had the story of my engagement interrupted by something stupid he did. I changed my phone number and didn’t tell him. So yeah, I can relate.

        That’s what the parables are: stories we can relate to with a spiritual meaning. There are three characters in this story: the broken-hearted father, the broken son returning, and the faithful son, saying, “gimmie a break!”

        There is no indication the father gave the boy his inheritance begrudgingly or how he passed time waiting for the boy’s return but check out that reaction. It says in verse 20 that he ran, an undignified act, and he ran full of compassion.       

       Prodigals seem to be stubborn and in need of a reason to return. In the story he ran out of money and was sleeping with pigs. That broke his resilience. He knows his father is a generous man, so he heads home.

      The faithful brother should have received his inheritance first but didn’t. Instead, he stayed and worked and went unappreciated. He did everything he was supposed to do, and his selfish little brother got a celebration dinner. It didn’t seem fair.

       Jesus came to seek and save the lost. I for one chose to celebrate with Him. My brother is already enjoying his celebratory dinner. Even though there is a gravestone with his name he is alive again.

       Is someone you know alive again? Don’t condemn them for their past but celebrate their future.