The Bitter Brother

I am very excited to preach this Sunday on reaching out to those who have yet to start a journey of faith. One of the stories that really illustrates the beautiful picture of someone coming back to the Lord is the story of the prodigal son. It gives me hope when I read that story for myself and others. The interesting thing about that story is not only the story of the younger brother that ran away but also the story of the bitter older brother.

Now I know what it is like to have a younger brother so I can kind of relate to this story. In the parable Jesus describes a younger brother who takes his inheritance from his father, falls on his face, and returns to his father hoping for a better life. The beautiful part of the story is when the father receives his young son back and celebrates that he has returned. But where is the older brother when all of this is happening? Well he is pouting and being bitter that his father received his younger brother back. I am sure he was asking how could he when his brother had done all those things wrong? Why can't I have a party? My young brother should be punished for what he did. The interesting thing is the father's response to the older bitter brother. He reminds the older son that all he has is his and says, "But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." (Luke 15:32)

Today in the church there can be a lot of bitter brothers. They believe they have been in the church for a long time, they have served God for a long time, and they feel like they have done the best they can to live for God. They believe they deserve something. They are bitter because they see someone who either just started their relationship with God or is seeking God after leaving Him earlier and the church celebrates with them. That bitter person wants that praise for themselves because they believe they deserve it. 

You see Jesus told this story because the religious pharisees believed they deserved the praise and celebration. God so values those who are lost. It means so much to him when just one comes back to a saving knowledge of him. It is time that we start getting a heart for the lost like our father. We should be waiting arms open wide to accept people back and celebrate what God has done. If you find yourself in the place of a bitter brother, ask God for his heart as a father. A heart that accepts, redeems, and celebrates a lost son.