PrintThe Kingdom Party (2)
It's sad about the older brother. No, it's tragic! Like his younger sibling, he thought that his relationship with his father was "performance based". In other words, he thought that the more he did, the harder he tried, the higher he jumped, the more worthy he became of his father's love.
"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 worked hard 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 finest calf we have.' (Vs. 28-30)
No wonder he was angry! All that effort to be more acceptable wasted! All that loyalty to the family name unnecessary! All that moral living pointless! Yes, no wonder he was angry.
But the father has only one way that he relates to his sons and only one way that they can relate to him. That way is called "GRACE". Grace is not, never, no way performance based. Never has been. Never will be. The tragedy is that the older son would not or could not accept that amazing truth. Because he was locked into performance as the basis for relating to his father, grace (for him) was not amazing. It was offensive. It was outrageous. It was unjust. It was totally unacceptable.
So he refused to go into the party. To do so would have savagely compromised his theology of "good works" being the way to find acceptance with his father. He had worked so hard, so long, so diligently. He could not now deny all that effort and energy by participating in this celebration - this undeserved, sin-condoning, rebellion-rewarding, loyalty-denying party. At least that is probably the way he saw it.
That's the trouble with religion. It just cannot accept that we can never, ever try hard enough or do enough to be acceptable. Grace says, "Welcome home! Put on the ring, the robe and the shoes and let's go into the party!" Religion says, "There will be no party! There's too much work to be done, too many rules to be obeyed, too many laws to be fulfilled. But maybe, just maybe, if we do more, try harder and jump higher there might be something to celebrate at the end. Maybe.
I like to think that the 'welcome home' banner at the younger son's party might have read something like this
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Enjoy the party!!
