"I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. " - Song of Solomon 5:6.
In the first part of this message, we discovered what "drove away" the Prodigal Son from his father's house - the abundance of the father's house, or rather, the desire to experience the inheritance before the appointed time. In the second part of the message, we discovered what "drove back" the Prodigal Son to his father's house - a "famine".
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit revealed that a "divine" famine had been sent, first manifesting itself in the physical realm; then, ultimately, a purposeful deliberate "withdrawing" of the Father Himself, causing the real famine that would hopefully "drive back" the countless prodigal sons and daughters who had "fallen away" (2 Thessalonians 2:2-3) from the Father and His presence (being wooed away by a deceptive "Prodigal Gospel", resulting in a selfish condition of the heart) to a repentant heart, who's true cry was to "be a blessing to the Father and to others".
In the third and final chapter of this series, we will focus on the other "Prodigal Son", namely, the older son/brother. No, this is not a typo....there were actually two prodigal sons in the story found in Luke 15:11-32 - one who left his father's house physically, and one who remained at his father's house, yet his heart had also "fallen away" from the father just as much, if not more, than that of the younger son.
"Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found." - Luke 15:25-32.
So many sermons have made the focal point of their message all about the younger son - how he hastily decided his true happiness lied outside of the boundaries of his father's home - only to discover all he ever really needed was the always there - in his father's house. But the older brother was also in a condition where his heart needed redemption, perhaps even more than that of his brother's. Before you disagree, let us review the evidence -
"And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf." - Luke 15:27 & 28.
The words of the older son reveal the true state of his heart - what was most dear to him. First, upon hearing his younger brother had returned, anger filled his heart. Second, his rebuttal to his father's inquiry was a self-righteous one - declaring to his father his record of faithfulness based upon his performance - how he had served - how he had never transgressed. Third, he accuses his father of being unfair - he was never rewarded - the younger son never punished. Finally, he identifies the younger son as "this thy son", not willing to acknowledge the younger son as his own brother.
"And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." - John 9:39-41.
The younger son had "come to his senses" and realized his lost condition; however, the older son was in a worse state than that of his brother because he was blind to the fact that he had fell prey to the same seduction his brother had. Though he had not physically left his father's house, his heart - far from where it should be - was defensive, "Look at me!", accusing, "What's in it for me?", declaring, "It's all about me!"
The horrible truth about this "Prodigal Gospel" is that it has infiltrated and polluted the whole Body of Christ today. Not only causing many son and daughters to leave the Father's house; but also causing those sons and daughters that remain in the Father's house to develop a heart of self righteousness - only concerned for itself - justifying itself by performance - judging others based upon their past faults and failures.
"For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged....As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one....Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..." - Romans 3:3&4, 10-12, 22-24.
When He spoke the parable of the Prodigal Son, the main focus of our Lord Jesus Christ was the hearts of the characters in the story - and the most important heart in the story is the one that is the most neglected - that of the father. It was the father that was the true hero of the story. It was the father's heart that was in its rightful place - one of redemption and reconciliation - one that realized the "true and secret riches" and what mattered most -
"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry....And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found." - Luke 15:20-24, 31&32.
It was the father who had compassion - who ran to embrace his younger son - kissed him - restored him - welcomed him home. It was the father who approached the older son - entreated him - reminded the older son of his love and willingness to give him all that he had. The father was willing to divide and distribute his wealth to his sons because his happiness was not the abundance he had acquired; nor the house he had built - but that he possessed his sons - body and heart - that his sons were with him. And the father's ultimate desire was that his sons realize that true happiness was not the abundance of wealth - not the inheritance - not even the father's house - but to have each other and to be in the father's presence!
"For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody....Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away." - Isaiah 51:3&11.
Beloved, this is our Father's heart as well! A heart that longs for His younger sons and daughters to be redeemed - to come home! A heart that also longs for His older sons and daughter to be redeemed - to rejoice and welcome home their brothers and sisters! And they are coming home....those misfits that have been dwelling in obscurity - eating the pig slop of this world - will "come to their senses" and begin the journey home - realizing that they have wasted the father's inheritance - broken, busted, and disgusted - willing just to be a servant - but finding a Father eager to embrace them, kiss them, clothe them - call them His own.
"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." - Zephaniah 3:17.
It is easy to see how the the story ended for the younger son. In gratitude for being redeemed, he loved the father even more than before - became a faithful steward - well-pleasing and a blessing to his father. But what about the fate of the older brother? That remains to be seen... because the real test lies in what the older brother did with the remaining wealth - his rightful share of the inheritance. Did he realize, as his father knew, what matters most? Not only will he receive his younger brother back into his bosom?.....but would he follow his father's example?
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." - Galatians 6:1-3.
Beloved, hear with your spiritual ear "what the Spirit saith unto the churches" -
It is church, not God, that labels someone "rejected, "unfit", and "nonredeemable"!
It is traditions of man that deem someone "disqualified", not even able to be a "door-greeter" in the house of God - not able to accept the fact that, when the Father redeems, He redeems completely - when the Father restores, He restores totally - and when the Father loves, He loves unconditionally!
It is the "weaker" brother - the angry, "hard-hearted" daughter - that will demand of God a reason for why He doesn't reward "going through the motions" of faith - not understanding... that type of service is dead religion. It is the "self-absorbed" brother - the "self-centered" sister - that will want an explanation for why the younger brothers and sisters are given the more prominent places and gifts when Jesus returns - it will be those brothers and sisters who pride themselves in perfect church attendance who will call it "unfair" when the younger sons and daughters are given the greater honor in His kingdom!
So.........what will you do when the misfits come home?
Will you realize and reflect the Father's heart and welcome them home with open-arms? Or will you greet them with a self-righteous, "I told you so"? Will you gladly restore your brothers and sisters....share what is left of the inheritance? Or will your flaunt your inheritance over them as a constant reminder that they barely made it home?
Beloved, who cares about streets of gold and mansions of silver! Who cares about glorious robes and eternal crowns! They will all be cast at the feet of our Lord anyway! What matters most is that we will be with Jesus! And He will be with us! What matters most is that we are reunited with our brother and sisters and that we made it home! What matters most is that we will forever be in our Father's presence and He will be in ours! What a grand reunion that will be!
The the younger son, I say, "Come home....he is still your Father....you are still His son"!
The the older son, I say, "Remember....he is still your brother....she is still your sister"!
"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." - Revelation 22:20-21.
