“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. (Luke 15:25-28; see THE GOSPEL: Parable of a Lost Son; Choose Wisdom Early in Life)
So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ (Luke 15:29-30; see What's It All For - 1 & 2) Doing the right things for the wrong reasons is just as bad as doing the wrong things!
Remember, Jesus is speaking this parable to a multitude of people, including Pharisees and scribes. (Luke 15:1-3) Interestingly, He states the older son said, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time. God explained through the Apostle Paul, Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. (Romans 2:17-20)
What we do doesn't make us right with God! But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; ... (Isaiah 64:6) not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:9) Jesus concludes the parable with the father's response; “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’” (Luke 15:31)
By Jewish law, the eldest son would receive a larger inheritance from their father. (Deuteronomy 21:15-17) So the oldest son didn't have to worry about his younger brother coming back home and getting anything from the father that was promised to him. The same is true of the Jews, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. (Romans 9:4-5)
The oldest son's problem was the same problems the Jewish religious leaders had, a lack of compassion for others, which lead to them be judgmental. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” ... What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. (Romans 9:14-15, 30-32)
He who does not love does not know God, for GOD IS LOVE. (I John 4:8) The father in the parable had enough love for the son who stayed and did the right things, even if the son's motivation wasn't right; and the father had enough love for the son who left home and did the wrong things, but had enough since to come back home and ask for forgiveness. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9) ...who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:4)
God, The Father has patience with each of us, just like the father in the parable had patience with his youngest son, the lost one, and his oldest son, the heir. God explains the purpose of this unconditional love and forgiveness through the Apostle Paul, who said, ...for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous [the heir] of what you Gentiles [lost ones] have, so I might save some of them. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! (Romans 11:14-15 NLT)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,... In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:11-14)
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