Party Time - The Prodigal Son
Luke 15:11-32. Many of you know this story, but I'll refresh your memory if you don't remember. So there was a man who was pretty well off, and decided that his sons would inherit his wealth after he died. One of his sons decided that he did not want to stay and work in the family business; he wanted to go off and make his own mark on the world and see what life was all about. So, he got his father to give him his inheritance early so that he could find himself. He went out and lived a fast life, made fake friends who used him and his money, and when it was all gone, ended up alone and poor. The son felt guilty for a time and took some jobs that were beneath his original status, including working with pigs, who are among the filthiest animals in existence. Finally, he had enough and decided to return home. He didn't feel that he deserved to be restored to his original status, however. He would have been happy just to be a servant in his father's house, just as long as he was home. His father, however, rejoiced at his son's return and threw a big party for him and giving him a gold ring. His other son, the one who had stayed and helped his father, was angry because he felt that he wasn't appreciated for his hard work. His father reminded him that he celebrated him every day, and that anything he owned was also his. He reminded him to be happy because his brother had been lost and was now found.
There are a few messages in this story. Of course, we can't ignore the message of salvation and restoration. God created all of us in His own image, and therefore gave us the status of royalty. When we choose to live a life of sin, we take our inheritance (God's gifts of life, talents, and material wealth) and squander them on things and people who would only use us up and bleed us dry. When we give up trying to do things on our own, we allow him to restore us to our original glory (that He placed in us) and are elevated to a higher place. Salvation is not a sacrifice; it is a reprieve! It's our "Get Out of Jail Free" card, our escape from the torment the enemy would have us to suffer for all eternity.
So, we know about the Prodigal Son... but what about his brother?
I've noticed that when preachers talk about this passage in the Bible, they tend to focus on the Prodigal Son, his father, and the message of redemption behind it. When they talk about the brother, he's usually an afterthought or even talked about as if he was being selfish and cold. He felt that it wasn't fair that his brother got all the attention when he had so blatantly disrespected his father and his legacy. In fact, he had been the one doing the work while he was off partying. Why should he get off so easily? It makes sense, right?
I remember rereading this story and being a little shaken up by how closely I related to the brother. See, I've been saved since I was 12, and volunteered to do church work in one capacity or another since before I can remember. I have sung (and directed and taught songs) in the choir, been an usher, a junior trustee, a Sunday School teacher, a member of the liturgical dance ministry, stepping ministry, drill team, participated in all the holiday plays and special church events, worked in the kitchen (and "waitress-ed"), worked with hospitality, worked with the little children, and was a leader among the young people. AND I LOVED IT!! Why? Because I loved God, I loved my family, and I loved my church. So, whatever my hands could find to do, I did it. Then I went away to college. Far away. And I was only home 3 times a year. And when I came home, I found that my spot(s) had been taken. All of a sudden, it seemed like the people who wouldn't help me when I was home all of a sudden had gotten serious about God and decided they were going to help out at church. And they were getting recognition for it! I tried not to let it bother me, but as the years went by, it seemed to get worse. All of a sudden, I thought about the work that I had done and (while I loved it) how it seemed nobody cared but me. Then I got annoyed that they were publicly recognized while when I did it, it just seemed like something I was supposed to do. Like the brother, I wasn't rejoicing in their progress; instead, I was angry. All the while, I had been doing work, not for the recognition, but out of love and duty. But once I realized that I hadn't gotten it - and let's face it, I felt like I deserved it more than they did - it started to get a little ugly inside.
But then, one day, I decided to help my mother out with some dusting. And I started to take some trophies off of a bookcase, and waayyyy in the back, was a big trophy that had been given to me in 2007 for being the Youth of the Year for both my church, and the East Region of the National Church. And I looked around the living room and saw this big teddy bear one of the church mothers had given me for graduating college. And I started to have flashbacks of different people telling me how proud they were of me, and how much they looked forward to my presence. And I thought about the last two verses in that parable:
"31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was 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."
See, while we do the work for the right reasons, our flesh can't help but sneak in every once in awhile and try to pervert all of our good intentions. I'm sure the Prodigal Son's brother didn't stay with his father so that he could get a party and a pat on the back. I believe he stayed and worked because he loved his father and he was responsible. The thing is, the Devil knows when God is about to be glorified, and he'll try to find any way he can to take away from it. So he'll get to the person who wasn't even stressed in the first place and try to turn it around. But guess what? God knows all of our hearts. He knows our intents, and He takes note. And then He reminds us that He is always celebrating us when we are doing His work. So the next time you start to get some feelings and notions that you KNOW you shouldn't be experiencing, tell the Devil to have a seat. And when your brother or sister gets saved, healed or delivered, you celebrate with them because the stronger they get in the Lord, the stronger you are as a family. Haughtiness and arrogance have no place in God's family. LET'S PARTY!!
There are a few messages in this story. Of course, we can't ignore the message of salvation and restoration. God created all of us in His own image, and therefore gave us the status of royalty. When we choose to live a life of sin, we take our inheritance (God's gifts of life, talents, and material wealth) and squander them on things and people who would only use us up and bleed us dry. When we give up trying to do things on our own, we allow him to restore us to our original glory (that He placed in us) and are elevated to a higher place. Salvation is not a sacrifice; it is a reprieve! It's our "Get Out of Jail Free" card, our escape from the torment the enemy would have us to suffer for all eternity.
So, we know about the Prodigal Son... but what about his brother?
I've noticed that when preachers talk about this passage in the Bible, they tend to focus on the Prodigal Son, his father, and the message of redemption behind it. When they talk about the brother, he's usually an afterthought or even talked about as if he was being selfish and cold. He felt that it wasn't fair that his brother got all the attention when he had so blatantly disrespected his father and his legacy. In fact, he had been the one doing the work while he was off partying. Why should he get off so easily? It makes sense, right?
I remember rereading this story and being a little shaken up by how closely I related to the brother. See, I've been saved since I was 12, and volunteered to do church work in one capacity or another since before I can remember. I have sung (and directed and taught songs) in the choir, been an usher, a junior trustee, a Sunday School teacher, a member of the liturgical dance ministry, stepping ministry, drill team, participated in all the holiday plays and special church events, worked in the kitchen (and "waitress-ed"), worked with hospitality, worked with the little children, and was a leader among the young people. AND I LOVED IT!! Why? Because I loved God, I loved my family, and I loved my church. So, whatever my hands could find to do, I did it. Then I went away to college. Far away. And I was only home 3 times a year. And when I came home, I found that my spot(s) had been taken. All of a sudden, it seemed like the people who wouldn't help me when I was home all of a sudden had gotten serious about God and decided they were going to help out at church. And they were getting recognition for it! I tried not to let it bother me, but as the years went by, it seemed to get worse. All of a sudden, I thought about the work that I had done and (while I loved it) how it seemed nobody cared but me. Then I got annoyed that they were publicly recognized while when I did it, it just seemed like something I was supposed to do. Like the brother, I wasn't rejoicing in their progress; instead, I was angry. All the while, I had been doing work, not for the recognition, but out of love and duty. But once I realized that I hadn't gotten it - and let's face it, I felt like I deserved it more than they did - it started to get a little ugly inside.
But then, one day, I decided to help my mother out with some dusting. And I started to take some trophies off of a bookcase, and waayyyy in the back, was a big trophy that had been given to me in 2007 for being the Youth of the Year for both my church, and the East Region of the National Church. And I looked around the living room and saw this big teddy bear one of the church mothers had given me for graduating college. And I started to have flashbacks of different people telling me how proud they were of me, and how much they looked forward to my presence. And I thought about the last two verses in that parable:
"31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was 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."
See, while we do the work for the right reasons, our flesh can't help but sneak in every once in awhile and try to pervert all of our good intentions. I'm sure the Prodigal Son's brother didn't stay with his father so that he could get a party and a pat on the back. I believe he stayed and worked because he loved his father and he was responsible. The thing is, the Devil knows when God is about to be glorified, and he'll try to find any way he can to take away from it. So he'll get to the person who wasn't even stressed in the first place and try to turn it around. But guess what? God knows all of our hearts. He knows our intents, and He takes note. And then He reminds us that He is always celebrating us when we are doing His work. So the next time you start to get some feelings and notions that you KNOW you shouldn't be experiencing, tell the Devil to have a seat. And when your brother or sister gets saved, healed or delivered, you celebrate with them because the stronger they get in the Lord, the stronger you are as a family. Haughtiness and arrogance have no place in God's family. LET'S PARTY!!
YESSSS!!!! PREACH IT!!!!!!
ReplyDelete