“Behold these are the ungodly, who are always at
ease; they increase in riches. Surely I
have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence…When I thought
how to understand this, it was too painful for me—until I went into the
sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (Psalm 73:12-13, 16-17).
He was the good kid. He never gave his mom and dad
a lick of trouble—always getting good grades, always cleaning his room, never
getting into any fights or scrapes. Nothing like his younger brother. When his
Dad said, “Go work in the vineyard!”, he said, “Yes sir” and off he’d go. He always
did what he was told and even went the 2nd mile, doing more than
what was asked.
Dad never had to worry about him. No sir! He was
the good kid, the one who stayed at home, the one who could be counted on. When
his younger brother left the farm for a wild life in the city, he stayed at his
Dad’s side, keeping the farm going, working from sunup to sundown. He was
always there and always faithful.
But then the day came when his wild brother came
home. It had been a hot day out in the field, and as usual, he’d been slaving
away. As he dragged himself home, all he
could think about was a cool bath and a warm cooked meal. But “when he came and
approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves
and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your
father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.
But he was angry and would not go in” (Luke 15:25 -28/NRS).
He just couldn’t believe it! How could his Dad go
to all this trouble for such a worthless, faithless son? Why should he welcome
home such an ingrate? All this time, he had stood by his Dad, being the perfect
son, and what did it matter? Where did it get him? And the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
When his Dad finally came out to see what was wrong,
the son’s pent-up feelings burst out, “For all these years I have been working
as a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command, yet you have never
given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when
this son of yours comes back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes,
you killed the fatted calf for him!” (vs. 29,30)
Clearly, the elder brother echoes David’s
complaint, “Surely, I have cleansed my heart in vain!” As he argued with his
father, “he makes it plain that his own service has been that of a servant
rather than a son. When he should have had an abiding joy in his father’s
presence, his mind has rested upon the profit to accrue from his circumspect
life. His words show that it is for this he has foregone the pleasures of sin”
(Christ’s Object Lessons, pg. 207)
Why was he such a good kid? It had nothing to do
with his Dad. It wasn’t because he loved him more than his brother. There
really was little difference between the two sons. When his brother came to his
Dad, demanding his inheritance, all he wanted was his father’s money. All he
wanted was what he could get. Was it any different with him? The only
difference between him and his younger brother was that he stayed home. And he
was just waiting for the day when all his father’s wealth would belong to
him. He might work like a dog out in the
fields, but it wasn’t because he loved his Dad. He was only working for
reward—and nothing more.
When our focus is only on the prize, we may become
as bitter as the elder brother in Christ’s parable. We may be sons or daughters
in our Father’s house, but we might look at Him as a hard taskmaster instead of
a caring Parent. And because our relationship is dysfunctional, we may end up
working, not from love, but from hope of reward. We may long for the golden
streets and the land of no pain more than we long to be with Jesus. And as we
wait for our reward, we may slave away, with no joy in our Father’s presence.
We may even see His ways as being hard and restrictive. In our hearts, we may
be like these two sons, wanting their inheritance more than the company of
their father.
Why do we serve the Lord? Is it merely for the
blessings He has promised or because His love overflows in our life? Do we obey
His commandments out of duty or because we want to please God in all things?
When the love of Jesus fills our hearts, there will
be no syndrome of the elder brother. We won’t look down on the prodigals that
finally come home. Nor will we covet their
wealth or prosperity. For as we spend time with Jesus, we’ll understand what
David did. We’ll catch a glimpse of eternity and see the destruction of the
wicked and all their prosperity consumed by fire. We’ll see God’s children safe
inside the holy city, the New Jerusalem, or living on the New Earth.
But even more than this, even before that day
arrives, our focus will be switched from any kind of reward to what really matters
most. Our focus will be on Jesus and Him alone. And that focus will change us.
All we’ll long for is to be in His presence and shine with His likeness. He will be our reward and the only one we
look forward to.
May we long every day to be wrapped up in the
righteousness of Christ, growing ever stronger in grace and love.
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