![\"Older](\"https:\/\/jonathanbrooker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Older-Brother-700x461.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe other day I was listening to the podcast of one of my favorite preachers as he talked about his testimony. Matt Chandler was a drinking, partying, womanizing maniac. His story had it all. And we\u2019ve probably all heard these kinds of testimonies before. Even though his message wasn\u2019t about it, I couldn\u2019t help but think of the parable of the prodigal son. Just like that son, Chandler had gone out and enjoyed \u201cwild living.\u201d Mulling this over, I began to come to a sobering reality: I am the older brother.<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The parable of \u201cthe prodigal son\u201d is only called that because of human tradition. It\u2019s not actually what the story was called. In fact, Jesus said He was telling the story of two sons. The one – the more popular character – is the wild, younger son who basically wishes his dad dead, takes his chunk of the inheritance, and squanders it on loose women, fly chariots, or other luxuries of 1st century A.D. living.<\/p>\n
Then you have the father who is really the main character in this story. His unwavering love and rejoicing at seeing the \u201clost\u201d be \u201cfound\u201d is what marks this story as being as remarkable as it is.<\/p>\n
But then you have the older brother. He was out working in the field when he heard the party being had for his younger brother. After finding out what\u2019s going on, he complains to his father and then chooses to sit outside of the party and pout. The problem was that while the younger brother had gone out in the world to find his separation from the father, the older brother simply \u201cslaved away\u201d [his words] serving the father to find that separation.<\/b><\/p>\n
What I then began to see in this story is that pretty much everyone will find themselves in one of these two categories of people. Those who had lived the wild lifestyle in total rebellion and disregard for God or morality or any of that. And those who grew up surrounded by an understanding of God, morality, or decent living. We\u2019re all either younger brothers or older brothers.<\/p>\n
The problem is that even though the older brother was in proximity to the father he wasn\u2019t in relationship with the father. And that can be the problem with so many people who grow up surrounded by church and godliness. They can have the form of godliness without the power of relationship with Him. They can go through the motions without ever wrestling with whether or not they\u2019ve actually moved into relationship with God. Basically they\u2019re so busy doing<\/i> for<\/i> God that they hardly stop to be with<\/i> God.<\/p>\n
As I see it, all of us would fall under the category of runaway, younger son or decently behaved older brother. What matters most is not whether our story drips with gruesome sins or shines with straight-laced living. What matters most is whether we\u2019re in the house with the Father. Have we come home if we were far from it? And have we come inside when we were only a step away?<\/p>\n
Younger brothers, your sins will never satisfy you.<\/p>\n
Older brothers, your good deeds will never compare to the greatness of knowing Him. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"