Both sons were prodigals

        One of the most famous and popular of the parables is the story of the prodigal son that can be found in Luke 15:11.  It is a story of a rather wealthy man who had two sons.  One son, the youngest, decided he wanted to see the world and leave for “greener grass”.  The father, being a good man, gives the son his share of the wealth, and the son leaves for what the Bible describes as a distant country.  The son spends some time and money sowing his wild oats.  Then, a famine hits the country where he is and he finds himself destitute.  Things are so bad that he takes a job slopping hogs, which would be an embarrassment for a Jewish young man.  He gets to the place where he is so hungry that the food the pigs are eating looks good to him.  At that point, he decides to go home and beg his father for forgiveness and to be accepted back even if he has to become a servant rather than a son.

        Of course, the father, who can be seen clearly as God, accepts the young man back and forgives him instantly.  Not only is all forgiven but the father is so happy that he commands his servants to “kill the fatted calf” to celebrate.  Now, the fatted calf, was corn-fed beef, a show calf, and was reserved for only the greatest of celebrations.  However, there is an older son in the story, too.  He stays at home, diligently works for his father, and does not physically leave the father’s presence.

        After reading this parable several times, I have come to the conclusion that the father had two prodigal sons, both the younger and older brother were, indeed, prodigals.  The youngest son, the famous one, was a prodigal because he actually left the kingdom.  He was separated from the father by geography, by distance.  However, as we look at the parable, we can see the older son was also a prodigal, separated from the father by emotions, jealousy, dissatisfaction and anger.

        He is unhappy that the father welcomes the younger son back and forgives him for his transgressions.  In vs. 28, the Bible tells us that the older son “was angry and refused to join in the celebration”.  In vs. 29 he goes so far as to say “I have ‘slaved’ for you.”  He goes on to say that the father killed the fatted calf for his brother, but had never even given him a goat to celebrate with his friends. 

        Maybe, all of us have been prodigals in one way or another.  Some of us, like the younger son, have separated ourselves from God, the father, through time, distance, and geography.  Many of the rest of us, have at times, even though not nearly as obvious, separated ourselves from God by letting our emotions, our anger, our jealousy or our dissatisfaction keep us from remaining close to him.

        Let us take from the prodigal son that no matter, our heavenly father is always ready to forgive us and welcome us back into His family.  However, let us also realize, that no matter which one of the sons we have been at one time or another, that all of us need his forgiveness and love.