Are You More Like the Lost Son or the ‘Loyal’ Son?

The young son’s portion of the property was approximately 33% (Deuteronomy 21:17). By and large, he would have gotten this at his father’s death, although fathers in some cases decided to split their property early and resign from dealing with their estates.

What is surprising here is that the younger son started the division of the property. This showed disrespect for his father’s position as the head of the family.

As indicated by Moses' Law, pigs were considered unclean creatures (Leviticus 11:2-8; Deuteronomy 14:8). This implied that they could not be eaten or utilized for sacrifices. To shield themselves from pollution, Jews would not touch them.

For a Jew to go as far as taking care of pigs was an extraordinary embarrassment, and for this young fellow to eat the food that the pigs had even contacted was to be so demeaning. This young man had really sunk to the bottom.

What Can We Learn from the Lost Son?

The young son, in the same way as others who are defiant and juvenile, wanted to be free and live however he wanted, and it was necessary for him to arrive in a desperate predicament before “he came to himself” (started thinking clearly, Acts 12:11).

It regularly takes incredible distress and misfortune to make individuals look to the One who can help them. Is it true that we will carry on with life in our own particular manner, childishly shoving aside any obligation or responsibility that impedes us?

We ought to pause and look up before we hit the bottom and save ourselves and our families much pain and sorrow.

He was given much but could not handle it all. His eyes got too big for his head, and the world was too enticing for him. This young man lost what he had and lived in filth.

He finally realized that he was wrong, and he went back home to ask for forgiveness. How many of us have been in a similar situation? (Lamentations 3:40; Luke 18:13-14).

Why did the father not punish the young son when he seemingly deserved it? In the first tales about the lost sheep and the lost coin, the searcher effectively searched for the coin and the sheep, which could not return without anyone else.

In this story, the father watched and paused. He was managing a person with his very own will; however, he was prepared to welcome his child in the event that he returned.

Similarly, God's affection is consistent, and he is waiting. He will look for us and offer us chances to react, yet he does not constrain us to come to him. Like the boy’s dad, God stands by persistently for us to wake up.

The sheep was lost since it foolishly meandered away (Luke 15:4); the coin was lost through no flaw of its own (Luke 15:8), and the son left because of self-centeredness (Luke 15:12).

God's incredible love connects and discovers sinners regardless of how and why they get lost. Then, at last, we come to the part where the father forgave his son (Isaiah 61:10; Zechariah 3:4; Colossians 2:13).

What Can We Learn from the ‘Loyal’ Son?

Was the loyal or maddened son self-centered and resentful?

It was difficult for the elder brother to acknowledge his younger brother when he returned, and it is similarly as hard to acknowledge younger siblings today (or even older ones).

Individuals who atone after living sinful lives are regularly held in doubt; churches are often reluctant to concede them into church membership.

All things considered, we should cheer like the angels in heaven when an unbeliever atones and goes to God. Like the father, we should acknowledge apologetic sinners wholeheartedly and give them the help and consolation that they need to grow in Christ.

In the narrative of the prodigal son, the father’s reaction is apparently different in relation to the older brother's reaction. The father forgave him because he was happy, and the older brother would not forgive since he was angry toward what he considered was injustice.

The older brother’s own hatred delivered him similarly as lost to the father’s adoration as his younger sibling had been. We should try not to allow anything to hold us back from pardoning others.

If we are declining to forgive others, we are missing out on a magnificent chance of encountering joy. We ought to work at making our own joy develop, and for that to happen, we need to forgive someone who has harmed us.

At the point when Jesus recounted this story, the older brother represented the Pharisees, who were furious and angry that sinners were being invited into God's Kingdom.

All things considered, the Pharisees thought that they had sacrificed and accomplished such a great deal for God.

It may seem simple, by all accounts, to detest God's charitable absolution of others whom we consider more sinful than ourselves. Be that as it may, when our self-righteousness impedes rejoicing at others coming to Jesus, we are just as bad as the Pharisees.

The older brother had been there all along. He had been faithful and true to his father, but then he allowed pride and self-pity to set in (look at me). He always had the blessings, but he just did not claim them.

The older brother did not understand what was happening, but the father did. The father found it fitting to be glad and rejoice at the younger sons’ return by stating, “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).

What Does This Mean?

So, how does the story of the miserable or lost son and the maddened, “loyal” sibling apply to us today?

The principal message of this rebellious son story is that it does not make any difference how far we stray from our Heavenly Father or the amount that we waste on the gifts that he has given to us. He is always more than happy and forgiving when we repent and return to him.

God’s unconditional love is patiently waiting for us to come back to where he is and welcomes us with great enthusiasm. Each lost child (a believer or sinner, meaning all of us) who is found (goes to God) is cause for heavenly rejoicing.

There is rejoicing when sinners come to know Christ for the first time and have accepted him as their personal Lord and Savior. There is also rejoicing when a backslidden Christian repents and returns back to God (Acts 2:38; 1 John 1:8; 2 Peter 3:9; Matthew 3:8).

When a fellow Christian falls, do we let them stay there? No, we should not let that happen. Do we help them up and point them back to repentance?

Yes, we should always be doing that. When they do repent, do we give them the support and encouragement that they need to grow?

Again, we should always be helping others to grow in their spiritual walk. We should not let things keep us from forgiving others. If we do, it destroys our joy.

With that thought in mind, are we working to point others to Christ, those that have never found him and are wandering around in the dark?

Are we being a beacon of light for Christ so that others may be able to see him and not ourselves? We should not be letting self-righteousness get in the way of our duty of leading others to Christ.

For further reading:

Who Was the Prodigal Son?

How Is God the Father Revealed in the Prodigal Son?

Can We Identify with Either the Prodigal Son or His Brother?

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/hjalmeida

Chris Swanson answered the call into the ministry over 20 years ago. He has served as a Sunday School teacher, a youth director along with his wife, a music director, an associate pastor, and an interim pastor. He is a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman with over 30 years of combined active and reserve service. You can contact Chris here, and check out his work here.

This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.