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This week we are continuing our study of Luke Chapter 15. Please read verses 20-32 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 15:25-28 (NLT)
‘“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in.’
I think that in just about every family, when a younger child is born and brought back to the family home, there is an element of jealousy shown by the older sibling. The parents have to take care of the newborn baby while carefully ensuring that the older child doesn’t feel neglected. It’s so easy for all the attention to be given to the young child while they older child looks on as jealousy begins to form in their little lives.
This manifests itself in various ways such as mood swings or tantrums. Occasionally, they will resort to harming the young child in some way just so that the parents finally show them the attention that they crave. It’s tough being a child, but it’s not exactly easy being a parent either!
We can sort of expect bad behaviour from young children but surely having such jealousy when you’re older is not acceptable? Well, it’s quite clear from our parable today that not only is jealousy found in young children, it’s also found much later in life. We don’t really know the state of mind of the older brother, but I think it’s safe to assume that jealousy is bearing at least a part in his own bad behaviour. It’s entirely possible that he had been enjoying the time that his brother was away and that he could do what he wanted and had basically “the run of the place.”
I can imagine what he was thinking on his return home from working in the fields. He was expecting a nice quiet evening when as he begins to get closer to home, there is the sound of music, dancing and festivities. He arrives home and asks one of the servants “What’s going on?”
Perhaps he was thinking that he SHOULD know what’s going on but doesn’t. Who has been keeping him in the dark and why? He is the sole heir now to this place and things are happening that he doesn’t know about it. I can also imagine what the servant felt at this point. I dare say that he was telling the news with no little amount of joy. The father had been overjoyed at the return of his son, surely, the brother would share in the happiness? He was incredibly enthusiastic when he shouts out the news “Your brother is back! Your father is holding an amazing party for him and has killed the fattened calf for the celebration.”
Perhaps the smile on the face of the servant began to wane somewhat as he notices the change in the face of the older brother. Can you picture the scene? It’s like something from a Disney film, where the evil character’s face is distorted with anger.
The sad part of this story is that despite reading it for generations, there are still so many people in the church who hold unforgiveness and bitterness in their hearts toward those who have been wayward in the past. There are those who reject their ‘brothers and sisters’ in a similar way because they don’t approve of their previous lifestyles and are not prepared to enter into any happiness at their ‘homecoming’. May God spare us from any kind of older brother attitudes to anyone who comes home to our Father.
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