A preacher said: 'I have heard lots of sermons on the prodigal son who left home, I think we ought to be preaching on the boy who stayed home. He certainly needed repentance and revival as much as his young brother did'. That really was one of the main points in Christ's story. It was spoken to the Pharisees and teachers of the law (v.2,3) who were the most 'religious' people of the day. The lesson Christ was trying to give them was: 'You may not be like the boy who left home, but don't be like the other son either'. What about this older son? He said he had never done anything wrong. He hadn't wasted his money. What had he done? He may have been in the father's house but he never shared in the longings of the father's heart over the younger son. He had worked hard but he was in the fields when he should have been at the feast. He had lost all sense of indebtedness. He had built up a wall of self-righteousness when what he needed was a mirror in which to see himself. He had also lost sight of love. How bitter, how unkind were his words: 'This son of yours' - not 'My brother'. 'He's no relation of mine.' He had lost sight of his possessions. He complained he had nothing. But what did the father say? 'Everything I have is yours.' That was true too. The younger son had spent his inheritance. How did the father deal with him? With the same love he had shown to the younger son. We are not told the end of the story. It would be good to think that he flung himself into the arms of his father and his brother and they all went into the feast together. How about ourselves? Are we as out of touch with the Father's love for the lost, the prodigals, the homeless? Why not ask him to renew our love for lost souls? LORD GIVE US CALVARY LOVE. |
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