I have to come to peace with the fact that Jesus did not come to save me…
I mean as an older brother I have been in the house doing my duty all my life. And then when the prodigal son returns, what does my Father do? He throws a party!
Recently a comment from a reader mentioned 2 Samuel 19:6, “You love those who hate you and hate those who love you.” The point was that it seems that God does not care for the faithful child as much as he does for the lost.
To be clear, this verse has nothing to do with God. It was Joab’s condemnation of King David. However, the sentiment is commonly felt toward God and seems to be born out in the parable of the Prodigal son and others parables like the the workmen’s wages and the lost sheep. Jesus himself seems to drive this point home in Mark 2:17 where Mark records Jesus saying…
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17
What has God done for me lately?
I want the reader to understand this is about me. If you can relate to my own thoughts, and consequently my hard heart, I pray God will change your heart into a heart of clay as he is mine.
The very reason I created this blog is to document my transformation. I was/am the older brother. I was the Pharisees standing around condemning the crowds around Jesus. I even wondered how unfair it was for God to potentially save someone who lived a horrid life purely on a death bed confession. Not fair says I.
But I changed. Rather, God changed me. I read the whole parable. (Ok, there was a lot more to it than that but this started things rolling.) The end part and a light bulb went off.
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 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 15:31-32
You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
I had forgot, like the older brother, I have been enjoying the Father’s blessings all my life. All of them. In fact, everything the Father has is mine to enjoy now. Let that sink in. Can it be possible Christians today have everything the Father has to offer now? YES! That’s the point. (I just did not appreciate the blessings.)
At the core is a heart issue. The older brother was very self-centered (selfish). He did not see the value in people that the Father sees. I would wager the Older brother did not even see his own sin or value. He had no care or love for his own brother. That was me. I had to understand God came to save me, a sinner.
Instead of being jealous for the good God does to the sinner, I began to wonder at the patience and mercy of God as he is trying to bring all peoples to the knowledge of Him. To show all people his Love. The Lord’s patience means salvation. (2 Peter 3:15)
I could go on. I know this oversimplifies a lot. Christians do suffer. There is trouble in the walk. Trials and hardship await all who take up the cross. However, we are in Christ and everything the Father has is ours. We just need to ask.
To not be discouraged. Take heart. The Kingdom is near. God bless.
The Older Brother 