Father Embraces the Prodigal While Elder Brother Stands Apartby CBPepper
15:25Luke 15:25
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
As he came home from his work in the field he heard the sounds of celebration at the house, and on asking he learned that his younger brother had come home safe and his father had made a feast for him. The music and dancing marked a father's joy that his lost son was alive again, picturing God's tender pity and heaven's joy when a repentant sinner is brought back. Instead of joining that joy the elder son grew angry, jealous and resentful, treating his brother's welcome as an insult and staying outside. He stands for the scribes and Pharisees who condemned Christ for receiving sinners, for unrepentant Israel resisting mercy, and for church members who envy the labor spent on saving the lost instead of rejoicing when wanderers return. The cold, suspicious, unforgiving elder-brother spirit must be put away, and the repentant met with tender sympathy, forgiveness and gladness after the father's own welcome.
Story Setting and Occasion
The elder son was out in the field at his work while the household was celebrating, and as he came back and drew near to the house he heard music and dancing marking the joyful welcome of the restored son. He was outside the house and away at labor when his younger brother returned, so the sound of rejoicing reached him as he approached and set the scene for his encounter with the celebration. Prompted by what he heard, he called a servant and asked what it meant, and he learned that his younger brother had come home safely and that their father had prepared a feast for him. He had come in from the field unaware his brother had returned, and the household's rejoicing caused him to inquire before he learned of the safe return and the father's feast.
Jesus gave this parable in response to criticism of His association with sinners, for the scribes and Pharisees condemned Him for welcoming sinners. Those who felt themselves lost needed a Saviour, and the parable was given to teach mercy and forgiveness.
The parable illustrates immortal truth by facts of life and daily experience familiar to the hearers, drawn from common events of daily life to teach spiritual truth. It shows a spirit open to the influences of nature, delighting to gather spiritual teaching from the surroundings of daily life, with something to interest every mind and appeal to every heart. So the daily task, instead of being a mere round of toil, is brightened and uplifted by constant reminders of the spiritual and the unseen. The verse also belongs to the wider story showing the Father's tender care in receiving with joy a straying child who repents and returns, and showing how those who have wandered can return to the Father, without its particular detail about the elder son hearing the celebration being explained.
Father's Celebrating Love
The music and dancing heard from the house are the father's joy that his lost son has been restored and is alive again. They are the signs of a joyful welcome prepared for the repentant son as he returns to his father's home. That home is the picture of the home to which the lost are reclaimed, and the return is deeply moving because the father sees the son from afar, runs to meet him, and rejoices that the son thought dead is alive.
The rejoicing shows God's pitying, tender, loving care for those who stray from Him. Though they turn away and face temptation, misery and bondage, He does not leave them in their misery but treats them with kindness and tender pity. When the erring child who has become sensible of great sin and neglect feels his need and comes back appreciating his father's love and claims, the heavenly Father receives him with compassion, pity, forgiveness, and greatest joy, as an earthly father receives a long-lost penitent son returning in penitence. That welcome reveals infinite love in the gift of His beloved Son as a sacrifice for the fallen race, making a channel for the outflow of infinite love so that all who believe on Jesus Christ are restored again to favor, are obedient to all of God's commandments, and have life in Jesus Christ.
He does not meet the returning sinner with denunciations and accusations of wrath but with yearning love waiting to receive the returning prodigal, and the feast is prepared to welcome his return. It is the same love shown in giving His Son to die for the race. Even one who has separated from God and stayed away long is still met by God if he comes in humble return, ready to accept him, pardon all transgressions, cleanse him from sin when he lays hold on Christ, cover him with Christ's righteousness, give him a place at His table, and give him life, leaving the poor wages found in serving sin and the flesh and the devil. Christ's love shown at Calvary assures the perishing sinner far from the Father of acceptance, peace, pardon, cleansing and love.
The celebration shows the joy in heaven when a sinner is brought back to God. Repentance and return are met with joy among the heavenly host. Christ feels tender sympathy and works earnestly for those endangered by sin, and rejoices greatly when a sinner repents and comes back to the Father.
God takes the first step to seek wanderers while they are still in rebellion, with His heart yearning for the sinner far from the Father's house. Every longing to return to God is the pleading of His Spirit drawing the wanderer back to the Father, and every willing wanderer is welcomed.
Elder Son's Resentful Spirit
The elder son was out at work while the house rejoiced over his younger brother's safe return, and coming in from the field and drawing near he heard music and dancing and asked a servant what it meant. When he learned his father had made a feast because the lost son had come home alive and well, he became angry, jealous and resentful. He treated the welcome given to a sinner as an insult to himself, refused to join the celebration, and stayed outside his father's joy. Though he had remained at home and shared its responsibilities, the honor shown his brother exposed his selfishness and made him watchful and critical rather than glad.
His reaction laid bare selfishness, pride, envy, stubbornness and self-will in a cold, self-righteous spirit. He was suspicious and hateful toward one whom the father had welcomed, watchful to criticize every action and magnify every fault in order to excuse his own unforgiving spirit. He was unwilling to forgive as God forgives, and his cold-heartedness toward those struggling against temptation put him in the accuser's place where the light of God's countenance cannot be received.
His fault-finding and complaining proved he did not understand God's way of dealing with men, even though he endured hardship, carried burdens and appeared faithful in his father's service and in sacred and home duties. He contrasted his own course with the prodigal's, counted himself righteous and in need of no repentance, and thought himself entitled to commendation and honor. Yet by refusing to receive his repenting brother and to rejoice at his return he showed his own need of repentance, spoiled his service, refused heaven's joy over the found lost, and failed to represent God. That same temper treats service as earning salvation for a fixed payment and expecting greater reward for long service, an unchristlike spirit that makes men untrustworthy.
His complaints were natural but not right. They picture the wrong course often taken toward an erring brother by trying to make him feel where he erred and by constantly reminding him of his mistakes, when one who has erred is suffering in feeling, desponding and discouraged and needs pity, help, sympathy and above all free forgiveness. His spirit is also indifference and careless disregard for those ready to die. This stands in contrast to God as the true shepherd who goes after the lost, calls the distressed to return, heals backsliding, loves freely and turns away anger, while all heaven rejoices in the finding of the lost.
Whom the Elder Son Represents
The elder son approaching the house while the music sounds stands for unrepentant Israel, whom God bore with in love while they resisted grace and mercy, neglected their privileges, and rejected the messengers sent to them. His refusal to recognize the returned prodigal as a brother pictures Israel's refusal to recognize publicans and sinners as brothers who should be sought, forgiven, and led to everlasting life. The parable as a whole is a picture of loving care for Israel, and the elder son's place outside the joy belongs to that picture of a father's love grieved by resistance and by coming judgment upon Jerusalem.
He also stands for a Jewish spirit that treats service as earning salvation and expecting a fixed payment for work done. In that spirit, those who may endure hardship and trial become faultfinding and believe their long service entitles them to greater reward. That unchristlike spirit makes them untrustworthy.
He stands further for established church members who ought to rejoice when wanderers are brought back to the faith but instead become envious and jealous. Coming to the house and hearing music and dancing over the returned prodigal exposes a selfish spirit sorely displeasing to God: displeasure because the father rejoices over the lost who returns, resentment when time and labor are given to hunting and saving the lost, and resentment of care and attention given to newly converted believers. That becomes complaint that constant ministerial labor is not spent on the church itself, as though the church had been robbed of labor it should have had, with a demand that all ministerial labor and feeding be kept for church members themselves. It means acting selfishly, lacking the Spirit of Christ who left the ninety and nine to seek the lost sheep, refusing to use strength and talents to help the minister carry the burden and wear the yoke of Christ, and failing to become a living, working, earnest church that carries salvation, bears light, reflects truth, hunts for souls, and stretches out hands all the day in burden for souls and sincere prayer rather than a gossiping church planting doubt, questioning, evil surmising and jealousy. Those who have had labor bestowed on them should instead have a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent, have Christ formed within as the hope of glory, and seek to save the lost as living, working light-bearers. Unless converted from that elder-brother part, they hinder God's work.
He stands for those who claim to work with Christ and handle sacred things yet stand apart from struggling souls instead of meeting them with compassion. While a straying soul struggles against temptation and tries to return to God, they stand by stubbornly and complain, responding with stubbornness, complaint, indifference, or contempt instead of helping him back to God, though they themselves need salvation. They neglect souls in peril, leave them to wander and perish and drive them into Satan's snares, then will not rejoice with Christ when He brings back the lost and wandering sheep. Time and again such workers reenact his part, jealous as he was and complaining of the favors shown to the poor prodigal by his Father in heaven who appreciates and values every soul for whom Christ has died. His spirit is indifference and careless disregard for those ready to die, in contrast to God as the true shepherd who goes after the lost sheep, calls the distressed soul to return, heals backsliding, loves freely, and turns away anger, while all heaven rejoices in the finding of the lost. Though feeling righteous, faithful in home duties, and needing no repentance, contrasting his own course with the prodigal's and thinking himself in position to be commended and honored, he manifests his own need of repentance, is unwilling to receive his repenting brother, refuses heaven's joy over the found lost, and fails to represent God, and the lesson is given so that those who claim to love God will properly represent Him in service.
Some who are called Seventh-day Adventists will act this same elder-brother part toward others when the prodigal returns home. Beginning with the elder brother coming toward the house, his account shows meeting the returning one with suspicion, dislike, distrust, retaliation, and treatment that is not kind and tender toward one who had been distrusted and unkindly treated. Those who learn by experience what it feels like to be met with suspicion and distrust must not show that same spirit, must not cherish dislike, must not retaliate by treating others as they were treated, and must not practice anything of that kind in labor for others, but must keep the prayer of Christ ever before the mind and answer that prayer in daily attitude and practice.
Returning to the Father
The younger son pictures the sinner who turns away from God and the Father's house after having loved and served Him, leaving what is near and good for a far country of self-indulgence, pleasure and selfish indulgence. That course wastes the gifts and powers received from the Father, forsakes the fountain of living waters and true pleasure for broken cisterns that can hold no water, and ends in misery, bondage to sin and captivity to Satan. There the wanderer is far off, perishing in sin, stripped of courage, without light or holiness, even while claiming to keep the commandments. Long separation does not place him beyond hope, for the story belongs to those who separated from God and stayed away long yet may still be met.
Returning to the Father's house means leaving the service of Satan and of sin as a thorough backslider and coming back to the Father's service, to Christ's service as one purchased by His blood. It is turning to the Lord with confession and contrition of soul under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, with purified thought and changed purpose, and it embraces both those seeking the Lord for the first time and those who have backslidden. The decision is immediate and decided, a profession from that day to be a Christian even at loss of position, trade, or Sabbath work, no longer grieving the heart of Christ who died to redeem. Such seekers at the Sanitarium and elsewhere can be wisely guided toward salvation, and none who seek Him in this way seek in vain because of the pitying tenderness and compassion of Jesus who died to save.
Even one long separated is still met by God if he comes in humble return, for God is ready to accept him wholeheartedly who turns to Him with the whole heart. He pardons all transgressions, cleanses from sin when the sinner lays hold on Christ, covers him with Christ's righteousness, gives him a place at His table, and gives him life. That life leaves behind the poor wages found in serving sin and the flesh and the devil.
Welcome restores sonship with its privileges only on compliance with its conditions by cordial assent and willing obedience, living in accordance with the father's requirements. Claiming a son's privileges means accepting a son's obligations, remaining under the father's care rather than returning to wandering. The wanderer must give the whole life, deny self, submit to control, remain under the shepherd's care in the fold, and repay love by obedience.
The lesson warns youth and all against a careless, pleasure-loving, spendthrift life and holds out return penitent and humbled to be welcomed, forgiven, taken back, and strengthened to begin again after sin and failure. The wayward should not delay but come back with a humble heart, and those who have left the Father's house are to be encouraged to return to the home to which the lost are reclaimed. Those rescued from sin can then help bring other lost ones back to the Father, and news of such return brings praise with weeping joy and a rich experience as the Lord leads step by step in submission.
Seeking and Welcoming Wanderers
The cold, self-focused spirit of the elder brother — censure, suspicion, distrust, jealousy and hatred toward one whom the Father has welcomed — must be rejected. When the prodigal returns, no one must assume the complaining attitude of the elder son coming from the field and hearing the celebration, treating the father's welcome as an insult and refusing to join it. Instead the repentant are to be met with tender sympathy, forgiveness, gladness and personal care, following the father's gracious welcome and patient appeal to recognize that the lost brother has been found. They need the loving welcome of the father and help toward repentance, not harsh condemnation or severe judgment, but tenderness toward those who have gone wrong and hope for their restoration. The parable means much and must be carefully studied, and practicing its lesson involves eternal interests.
Those who have erred suffer in feeling and are often desponding and discouraged, and they need pity, help, sympathy, and above everything else free forgiveness. The elder brother's complaints were natural but not right, picturing the wrong course frequently taken by brother toward brother in trying to make those in error feel where they erred and in constantly reminding them of their mistakes. Harsh, censorious, faultfinding, un-Christlike treatment drives them away from God and truth and can keep them from the kingdom, while tender, compassionate love after the light reflected from the cross draws them back. The rejoicing over the brother's return pictures the manner in which the heavenly Father receives the erring and repenting, with compassion, pity, forgiveness and greatest joy over a son believed dead to filial affection who has become sensible of his great sin and neglect, felt his need, and come back appreciating his father's love and claims. Prodigals need a welcome, not the elder brother's cold repulse, and tempted, erring people must be given room to recover rather than treated harshly or condemnatorily.
Those entrusted with souls and those who have had labor bestowed on them must not stand apart but seek and restore the straying. They are to go into the wilderness of darkness and confusion to search for, find and bring back the lost sheep, hunt for souls, and not leave straying sheep unbrought back. They must have a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent, have Christ formed within as the hope of glory, and then they will seek to save the lost. They must use strength and talents to help bear the minister's burden and wear the yoke of Christ, following the Spirit of Christ who left the ninety and nine to seek the lost sheep, rather than acting selfishly and expressing unjust sentiments as though the church had been robbed of labor it should have had. A living church is not a gossiping church planting doubt, questioning, evil surmising and jealousy, but an earnest, working church whose members are chosen vessels carrying salvation, bearing light, reflecting truth to all they meet, delivering an effective testimony by precept and example, stretching out hands all the day in burden for souls and sincere prayer, and bringing truth close to hearts. The selfish spirit that is displeased because the father rejoices over the lost who returns, that resents time and labor given to hunting and saving the lost, that murmurs that constant ministerial labor is not spent on the church itself and demands that all feeding be kept for church members themselves, is sorely displeasing to God, who hears the words and sees the attitude with much displeasure.
The lesson is given so that those who claim to love God will properly represent Him in service rather than refuse heaven's joy over the found lost. The elder brother exposes many who handle sacred things while feeling righteous, faithful in home duties and needing no repentance, who contrast their own course with the prodigal's, cannot sympathize with the father's joy in receiving back the wanderer, think themselves in position to be commended and honored, yet manifest their own need of repentance. In selfishness he is unwilling to receive his repenting brother and will not rejoice at his return. The lessons of the prodigal son and the lost sheep must be considered more critically and obeyed with purpose, with the Spirit of Jesus Christ necessary in all councils.
The elder brother's spirit of suspicion and harsh judgment toward a brother who has erred treats innocent words or actions as sins, magnifies faults, and fails to remember one's own wrongs, and this attitude grieves the Spirit of the Lord. Some who are called Seventh-day Adventists will act this same elder-brother part, meeting the returning one with suspicion, dislike, distrust and unkind, retaliatory treatment toward one who had been distrusted. Those who have learned by experience what it feels like to be met with suspicion and distrust must not show that same spirit, must not cherish dislike, must not retaliate by treating others as they were treated, and must not practice anything of that kind in labor for others. Christ alone can remove suspicion and lead people to love and restore one another, as they keep the prayer of Christ ever before the mind and answer that prayer in daily attitude and practice.
As he came home from his work in the field he heard the sounds of celebration at the house, and on asking he learned that his younger brother had come home safe and his father had made a feast for him. The music and dancing marked a father's joy that his lost son was alive again, picturing God's tender pity and heaven's joy when a repentant sinner is brought back. Instead of joining that joy the elder son grew angry, jealous and resentful, treating his brother's welcome as an insult and staying outside. He stands for the scribes and Pharisees who condemned Christ for receiving sinners, for unrepentant Israel resisting mercy, and for church members who envy the labor spent on saving the lost instead of rejoicing when wanderers return. The cold, suspicious, unforgiving elder-brother spirit must be put away, and the repentant met with tender sympathy, forgiveness and gladness after the father's own welcome.
Story Setting and Occasion
The elder son was out in the field at his work while the household was celebrating, and as he came back and drew near to the house he heard music and dancing marking the joyful welcome of the restored son. He was outside the house and away at labor when his younger brother returned, so the sound of rejoicing reached him as he approached and set the scene for his encounter with the celebration. Prompted by what he heard, he called a servant and asked what it meant, and he learned that his younger brother had come home safely and that their father had prepared a feast for him. He had come in from the field unaware his brother had returned, and the household's rejoicing caused him to inquire before he learned of the safe return and the father's feast.
Jesus gave this parable in response to criticism of His association with sinners, for the scribes and Pharisees condemned Him for welcoming sinners. Those who felt themselves lost needed a Saviour, and the parable was given to teach mercy and forgiveness.
The parable illustrates immortal truth by facts of life and daily experience familiar to the hearers, drawn from common events of daily life to teach spiritual truth. It shows a spirit open to the influences of nature, delighting to gather spiritual teaching from the surroundings of daily life, with something to interest every mind and appeal to every heart. So the daily task, instead of being a mere round of toil, is brightened and uplifted by constant reminders of the spiritual and the unseen. The verse also belongs to the wider story showing the Father's tender care in receiving with joy a straying child who repents and returns, and showing how those who have wandered can return to the Father, without its particular detail about the elder son hearing the celebration being explained.
Father's Celebrating Love
The music and dancing heard from the house are the father's joy that his lost son has been restored and is alive again. They are the signs of a joyful welcome prepared for the repentant son as he returns to his father's home. That home is the picture of the home to which the lost are reclaimed, and the return is deeply moving because the father sees the son from afar, runs to meet him, and rejoices that the son thought dead is alive.
The rejoicing shows God's pitying, tender, loving care for those who stray from Him. Though they turn away and face temptation, misery and bondage, He does not leave them in their misery but treats them with kindness and tender pity. When the erring child who has become sensible of great sin and neglect feels his need and comes back appreciating his father's love and claims, the heavenly Father receives him with compassion, pity, forgiveness, and greatest joy, as an earthly father receives a long-lost penitent son returning in penitence. That welcome reveals infinite love in the gift of His beloved Son as a sacrifice for the fallen race, making a channel for the outflow of infinite love so that all who believe on Jesus Christ are restored again to favor, are obedient to all of God's commandments, and have life in Jesus Christ.
He does not meet the returning sinner with denunciations and accusations of wrath but with yearning love waiting to receive the returning prodigal, and the feast is prepared to welcome his return. It is the same love shown in giving His Son to die for the race. Even one who has separated from God and stayed away long is still met by God if he comes in humble return, ready to accept him, pardon all transgressions, cleanse him from sin when he lays hold on Christ, cover him with Christ's righteousness, give him a place at His table, and give him life, leaving the poor wages found in serving sin and the flesh and the devil. Christ's love shown at Calvary assures the perishing sinner far from the Father of acceptance, peace, pardon, cleansing and love.
The celebration shows the joy in heaven when a sinner is brought back to God. Repentance and return are met with joy among the heavenly host. Christ feels tender sympathy and works earnestly for those endangered by sin, and rejoices greatly when a sinner repents and comes back to the Father.
God takes the first step to seek wanderers while they are still in rebellion, with His heart yearning for the sinner far from the Father's house. Every longing to return to God is the pleading of His Spirit drawing the wanderer back to the Father, and every willing wanderer is welcomed.
Elder Son's Resentful Spirit
The elder son was out at work while the house rejoiced over his younger brother's safe return, and coming in from the field and drawing near he heard music and dancing and asked a servant what it meant. When he learned his father had made a feast because the lost son had come home alive and well, he became angry, jealous and resentful. He treated the welcome given to a sinner as an insult to himself, refused to join the celebration, and stayed outside his father's joy. Though he had remained at home and shared its responsibilities, the honor shown his brother exposed his selfishness and made him watchful and critical rather than glad.
His reaction laid bare selfishness, pride, envy, stubbornness and self-will in a cold, self-righteous spirit. He was suspicious and hateful toward one whom the father had welcomed, watchful to criticize every action and magnify every fault in order to excuse his own unforgiving spirit. He was unwilling to forgive as God forgives, and his cold-heartedness toward those struggling against temptation put him in the accuser's place where the light of God's countenance cannot be received.
His fault-finding and complaining proved he did not understand God's way of dealing with men, even though he endured hardship, carried burdens and appeared faithful in his father's service and in sacred and home duties. He contrasted his own course with the prodigal's, counted himself righteous and in need of no repentance, and thought himself entitled to commendation and honor. Yet by refusing to receive his repenting brother and to rejoice at his return he showed his own need of repentance, spoiled his service, refused heaven's joy over the found lost, and failed to represent God. That same temper treats service as earning salvation for a fixed payment and expecting greater reward for long service, an unchristlike spirit that makes men untrustworthy.
His complaints were natural but not right. They picture the wrong course often taken toward an erring brother by trying to make him feel where he erred and by constantly reminding him of his mistakes, when one who has erred is suffering in feeling, desponding and discouraged and needs pity, help, sympathy and above all free forgiveness. His spirit is also indifference and careless disregard for those ready to die. This stands in contrast to God as the true shepherd who goes after the lost, calls the distressed to return, heals backsliding, loves freely and turns away anger, while all heaven rejoices in the finding of the lost.
Whom the Elder Son Represents
The elder son approaching the house while the music sounds stands for unrepentant Israel, whom God bore with in love while they resisted grace and mercy, neglected their privileges, and rejected the messengers sent to them. His refusal to recognize the returned prodigal as a brother pictures Israel's refusal to recognize publicans and sinners as brothers who should be sought, forgiven, and led to everlasting life. The parable as a whole is a picture of loving care for Israel, and the elder son's place outside the joy belongs to that picture of a father's love grieved by resistance and by coming judgment upon Jerusalem.
He also stands for a Jewish spirit that treats service as earning salvation and expecting a fixed payment for work done. In that spirit, those who may endure hardship and trial become faultfinding and believe their long service entitles them to greater reward. That unchristlike spirit makes them untrustworthy.
He stands further for established church members who ought to rejoice when wanderers are brought back to the faith but instead become envious and jealous. Coming to the house and hearing music and dancing over the returned prodigal exposes a selfish spirit sorely displeasing to God: displeasure because the father rejoices over the lost who returns, resentment when time and labor are given to hunting and saving the lost, and resentment of care and attention given to newly converted believers. That becomes complaint that constant ministerial labor is not spent on the church itself, as though the church had been robbed of labor it should have had, with a demand that all ministerial labor and feeding be kept for church members themselves. It means acting selfishly, lacking the Spirit of Christ who left the ninety and nine to seek the lost sheep, refusing to use strength and talents to help the minister carry the burden and wear the yoke of Christ, and failing to become a living, working, earnest church that carries salvation, bears light, reflects truth, hunts for souls, and stretches out hands all the day in burden for souls and sincere prayer rather than a gossiping church planting doubt, questioning, evil surmising and jealousy. Those who have had labor bestowed on them should instead have a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent, have Christ formed within as the hope of glory, and seek to save the lost as living, working light-bearers. Unless converted from that elder-brother part, they hinder God's work.
He stands for those who claim to work with Christ and handle sacred things yet stand apart from struggling souls instead of meeting them with compassion. While a straying soul struggles against temptation and tries to return to God, they stand by stubbornly and complain, responding with stubbornness, complaint, indifference, or contempt instead of helping him back to God, though they themselves need salvation. They neglect souls in peril, leave them to wander and perish and drive them into Satan's snares, then will not rejoice with Christ when He brings back the lost and wandering sheep. Time and again such workers reenact his part, jealous as he was and complaining of the favors shown to the poor prodigal by his Father in heaven who appreciates and values every soul for whom Christ has died. His spirit is indifference and careless disregard for those ready to die, in contrast to God as the true shepherd who goes after the lost sheep, calls the distressed soul to return, heals backsliding, loves freely, and turns away anger, while all heaven rejoices in the finding of the lost. Though feeling righteous, faithful in home duties, and needing no repentance, contrasting his own course with the prodigal's and thinking himself in position to be commended and honored, he manifests his own need of repentance, is unwilling to receive his repenting brother, refuses heaven's joy over the found lost, and fails to represent God, and the lesson is given so that those who claim to love God will properly represent Him in service.
Some who are called Seventh-day Adventists will act this same elder-brother part toward others when the prodigal returns home. Beginning with the elder brother coming toward the house, his account shows meeting the returning one with suspicion, dislike, distrust, retaliation, and treatment that is not kind and tender toward one who had been distrusted and unkindly treated. Those who learn by experience what it feels like to be met with suspicion and distrust must not show that same spirit, must not cherish dislike, must not retaliate by treating others as they were treated, and must not practice anything of that kind in labor for others, but must keep the prayer of Christ ever before the mind and answer that prayer in daily attitude and practice.
Returning to the Father
The younger son pictures the sinner who turns away from God and the Father's house after having loved and served Him, leaving what is near and good for a far country of self-indulgence, pleasure and selfish indulgence. That course wastes the gifts and powers received from the Father, forsakes the fountain of living waters and true pleasure for broken cisterns that can hold no water, and ends in misery, bondage to sin and captivity to Satan. There the wanderer is far off, perishing in sin, stripped of courage, without light or holiness, even while claiming to keep the commandments. Long separation does not place him beyond hope, for the story belongs to those who separated from God and stayed away long yet may still be met.
Returning to the Father's house means leaving the service of Satan and of sin as a thorough backslider and coming back to the Father's service, to Christ's service as one purchased by His blood. It is turning to the Lord with confession and contrition of soul under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, with purified thought and changed purpose, and it embraces both those seeking the Lord for the first time and those who have backslidden. The decision is immediate and decided, a profession from that day to be a Christian even at loss of position, trade, or Sabbath work, no longer grieving the heart of Christ who died to redeem. Such seekers at the Sanitarium and elsewhere can be wisely guided toward salvation, and none who seek Him in this way seek in vain because of the pitying tenderness and compassion of Jesus who died to save.
Even one long separated is still met by God if he comes in humble return, for God is ready to accept him wholeheartedly who turns to Him with the whole heart. He pardons all transgressions, cleanses from sin when the sinner lays hold on Christ, covers him with Christ's righteousness, gives him a place at His table, and gives him life. That life leaves behind the poor wages found in serving sin and the flesh and the devil.
Welcome restores sonship with its privileges only on compliance with its conditions by cordial assent and willing obedience, living in accordance with the father's requirements. Claiming a son's privileges means accepting a son's obligations, remaining under the father's care rather than returning to wandering. The wanderer must give the whole life, deny self, submit to control, remain under the shepherd's care in the fold, and repay love by obedience.
The lesson warns youth and all against a careless, pleasure-loving, spendthrift life and holds out return penitent and humbled to be welcomed, forgiven, taken back, and strengthened to begin again after sin and failure. The wayward should not delay but come back with a humble heart, and those who have left the Father's house are to be encouraged to return to the home to which the lost are reclaimed. Those rescued from sin can then help bring other lost ones back to the Father, and news of such return brings praise with weeping joy and a rich experience as the Lord leads step by step in submission.
Seeking and Welcoming Wanderers
The cold, self-focused spirit of the elder brother — censure, suspicion, distrust, jealousy and hatred toward one whom the Father has welcomed — must be rejected. When the prodigal returns, no one must assume the complaining attitude of the elder son coming from the field and hearing the celebration, treating the father's welcome as an insult and refusing to join it. Instead the repentant are to be met with tender sympathy, forgiveness, gladness and personal care, following the father's gracious welcome and patient appeal to recognize that the lost brother has been found. They need the loving welcome of the father and help toward repentance, not harsh condemnation or severe judgment, but tenderness toward those who have gone wrong and hope for their restoration. The parable means much and must be carefully studied, and practicing its lesson involves eternal interests.
Those who have erred suffer in feeling and are often desponding and discouraged, and they need pity, help, sympathy, and above everything else free forgiveness. The elder brother's complaints were natural but not right, picturing the wrong course frequently taken by brother toward brother in trying to make those in error feel where they erred and in constantly reminding them of their mistakes. Harsh, censorious, faultfinding, un-Christlike treatment drives them away from God and truth and can keep them from the kingdom, while tender, compassionate love after the light reflected from the cross draws them back. The rejoicing over the brother's return pictures the manner in which the heavenly Father receives the erring and repenting, with compassion, pity, forgiveness and greatest joy over a son believed dead to filial affection who has become sensible of his great sin and neglect, felt his need, and come back appreciating his father's love and claims. Prodigals need a welcome, not the elder brother's cold repulse, and tempted, erring people must be given room to recover rather than treated harshly or condemnatorily.
Those entrusted with souls and those who have had labor bestowed on them must not stand apart but seek and restore the straying. They are to go into the wilderness of darkness and confusion to search for, find and bring back the lost sheep, hunt for souls, and not leave straying sheep unbrought back. They must have a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent, have Christ formed within as the hope of glory, and then they will seek to save the lost. They must use strength and talents to help bear the minister's burden and wear the yoke of Christ, following the Spirit of Christ who left the ninety and nine to seek the lost sheep, rather than acting selfishly and expressing unjust sentiments as though the church had been robbed of labor it should have had. A living church is not a gossiping church planting doubt, questioning, evil surmising and jealousy, but an earnest, working church whose members are chosen vessels carrying salvation, bearing light, reflecting truth to all they meet, delivering an effective testimony by precept and example, stretching out hands all the day in burden for souls and sincere prayer, and bringing truth close to hearts. The selfish spirit that is displeased because the father rejoices over the lost who returns, that resents time and labor given to hunting and saving the lost, that murmurs that constant ministerial labor is not spent on the church itself and demands that all feeding be kept for church members themselves, is sorely displeasing to God, who hears the words and sees the attitude with much displeasure.
The lesson is given so that those who claim to love God will properly represent Him in service rather than refuse heaven's joy over the found lost. The elder brother exposes many who handle sacred things while feeling righteous, faithful in home duties and needing no repentance, who contrast their own course with the prodigal's, cannot sympathize with the father's joy in receiving back the wanderer, think themselves in position to be commended and honored, yet manifest their own need of repentance. In selfishness he is unwilling to receive his repenting brother and will not rejoice at his return. The lessons of the prodigal son and the lost sheep must be considered more critically and obeyed with purpose, with the Spirit of Jesus Christ necessary in all councils.
The elder brother's spirit of suspicion and harsh judgment toward a brother who has erred treats innocent words or actions as sins, magnifies faults, and fails to remember one's own wrongs, and this attitude grieves the Spirit of the Lord. Some who are called Seventh-day Adventists will act this same elder-brother part, meeting the returning one with suspicion, dislike, distrust and unkind, retaliatory treatment toward one who had been distrusted. Those who have learned by experience what it feels like to be met with suspicion and distrust must not show that same spirit, must not cherish dislike, must not retaliate by treating others as they were treated, and must not practice anything of that kind in labor for others. Christ alone can remove suspicion and lead people to love and restore one another, as they keep the prayer of Christ ever before the mind and answer that prayer in daily attitude and practice.