Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.” - Luke 15:11-12

Devotion

Read Luke 15:11-32

So often we hear this story in Luke told as “The Parable of the Prodigal Son,” but as Jesus introduces this parable, he begins by saying something different. He says this is a story of “a man who had two sons.” There is something here Jesus wants us to see through both of the sons. 

As Tim Keller so beautifully explains in his book, “Prodigal God,” both the younger son and his elder brother share the same root issue. The younger son desires to live by his own rules and chooses a life of indulgence and sensuality to achieve this aim. But the elder brother also desires to “have it his way,” only instead of directly rebelling against the father, he chooses to live a life of utter morality to achieve his goals …

When the younger son repents and comes home, his brother is angry. He is angry with how the father is treating his wayward brother, especially the fact that the father accepts the son back into the family. The father’s estate was greatly reduced when it was divided to give the younger son what he desired. When the father welcomes him back into the family, the remaining portion of the estate will be divided again. Why is the elder brother so angry? Well, for one reason, the property he stood to inherit has been diminished! 

As you can see, the motivation of both the elder and younger brother was the desire for possessions. That desire overruled what mattered more than all possessions combined: the love of the father. The younger brother had to lose it all. When he did, he returned to the father and experienced grace and love. The older brother tried to save it all by following the rules. The main difference between the elder brother and the younger brother is that the latter knew he had made a mistake. 

If we were to truly look at how much our possessions matter in our lives, would we be like the elder brother? Do we put on a good show of morality, but the idea of parting with our money, our possessions, what we believe we are owed, gets in the way of the love we have for the Father? 

Prayer

God, nothing I have is mine; it is all yours. I simply have what you have entrusted to me. If there is something in my life right now that I value more than you, may you give me the strength to joyfully give it up. Amen.

Blake Bastin
Pastor, Ministry & Operations

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