Prodigal

 And he said, "There was a man who had two sons.
Luke 15:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.15.11.ESV

The parable we know as being about the prodigal son is actually about two sons. We might remember the prodigal returning to his father, but what of his older brother who never left? We might assume the elder brother was close to his dad, but his response to his brother's return betrayed his cold heart.

The older son is actually the one who has the greatest lesson for Jesus's original audience. He told these stories of lostness to religious leaders who thought everyone other than themselves were lost. The older brother reveals that he is in fact more lost than his brother who was found.

Jesus is the prodigious Saviour who comes down to us and draws us back to the Father. The people who appear never to have left God, the religious ones, are in fact the ones a million miles from His heart, whose refusal to rejoice at lost ones' returns betrays the fact that they are lost themselves.

On the face of it, I'm an older brother, raised in a Christian home and coming to faith at a young age. God knows my heart however which has strayed as far from Him as the prodigal's. Thankfully, He has welcomed me back time and again.

'Lord, whoever we identify as in this story, may we not harden our hearts against You. Instead may we return to You wholeheartedly, and find ourselves safe in You. For Your glory, amen'

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