“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” [Luke 15.25-32]
The point of this story is forgiveness.
The point of Jesus telling us to help the poor and destitute is about forgiveness.
The way we may judge our own faith is found in how we treat the poor and destitute. Do we see them and immediately judge their situation convincing ourselves that they "get what they deserve"?
Perhaps it is this kind of thinking, whether we realize it or not, that prevents us from enjoying all the benefits of the Kingdom of God ourselves. The irony of the story of the Prodigal Son is that the son who never left was more the Prodigal than the one who did! And, for his waywardness, in this case judging his younger brother, he was unrepentant.
The message of repentance in this story is paramount. Self righteousness, or, pride, prevented the older son from enjoying the fullness of his father's possessions. His pride blinded him from seeing and enjoying what was already his. His pride shackled him to un-repentance and rendered him worse off than his younger brother.
No wonder Jesus taught us to forgive the way we wish to be forgiven ("Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors...").
No wonder Jesus taught us to forgive the way we wish to be forgiven ("Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors...").
Father, help us to repent of our pride and self-righteousness.
