Older Brother Syndrome

Jesus used parables to teach many. A mistake we make is that we try to allegorize all of Jesus' parables. Christ did not mean for us to allegorize every parable. Most parables make one point. We only allegorize when Jesus tells us to allegorize. In the Sower's tale, this ground means this, this ground implies that, and the seed is the Word of God. Jesus is allegorizing for us.

Let's look in Luke 15 at one of the most famous parables, which I believe is misinterpreted—the Parable of the Prodigal Son. I say we misinterpret it because it is not about the prodigal son; in truth, it is about the prodigal's older brother.

The Pharisees

First, this parable is part of three that we must tell together to make the point Jesus was about to make to the Pharisees. Remember, Jesus was dining with Pharisees when He said these three parables. I also want to highlight that the Pharisees were angry with Jesus because Jesus hung out and ate with sinners. The Pharisees thought He should not associate with these types of people. That, like the Pharisees, Jesus was better than all these other people because they, the Pharisees, kept the rules.

The Lost Sheep

The first parable Jesus tells is the Lost Sheep. "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." So, the man lost one percent of his wealth." That was huge back then. When he found the sheep, he celebrated with his friends. Like a sinner turning back to God, we know there is a celebration in heaven. One lost sheep, one percent of his wealth. The Pharisees are all shaking their heads yes at the parable Jesus told them.

The Lost Coin

So, Jesus said let me tell you another story. "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost." The woman had lost ten percent of her wealth. Losing her coin was a staggering loss in the poor economy of ancient Jerusalem. Having found her coin, she celebrated with her family and friends. Just like we know, the angels rejoice over one sinner who has returned to God. Again, the Pharisees agreed with Jesus: one sheep, one percent; One coin, ten percent.

One Lost Son

Now, Jesus drops the bomb on the Pharisees. Most of us know the tale of the prodigal son. The younger son essentially tells his father, old man, I can't wait for you to die; I want my inheritance now. Rude and uncaring was this child.

Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants." Remember, the man had lost fifty percent of his sons, and now his son returned to him. He ran and embraced him like God embraces the one who turns his back on sin, finding faith in Christ. The son said, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate. I don't know about you, but that sounds like repentance to me, doesn't it? Now while Jesus was talking about this, I can only imagine that the Pharisees realized where He was going with the story. Now heads were not nodding up and down but staring at the table or the floor. The Pharisees must have been enraged. When we hear this part of the parable, many of us identify with it. Oh, that's me. I am the prodigal son. I was lost, but now I'm found. But Jesus wasn't talking about us, or was He? He was talking about the Pharisees, and they knew it. I bet the Pharisees had a pretty good idea of who they were in the parable. The same thing we need to figure out.

The Older Brother

Then comes the older brother. "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'

Let's examine this passage. First, the son is angry because they celebrate his brother's return instead of being happy that he returned safely. There is no love for his brother in his heart. Then the older brother begins to yell at the father, "All these years, I have served you" He sees his relationship with his father as one of service, not love. "I never disobeyed you" that is a lie. We all disobey rules at some point in our lives. Next, the older brother says, "You never gave me a goat to celebrate with my friends." He does not say to celebrate with his father but his friends. He doesn't care about his father. Where is his relationship with his father? Does he even care about his father or only his father's things? Everything the father had at this point was the older brothers. He misses that he did not have to go through what his brother did because he had the father the entire time. But the older brother was a rule keeper and felt he was owed something for keeping the rules.

Some of the Pharisees may have realized the parable's point and repented. But I believe most were enraged and planned even harder to kill Jesus. So, in essence, the older brother then kills the father. The Pharisees were the older brother. We can often be the older brother. One sheep, one percent; One coin, ten percent. One son fifty percent. Some worry about rules and never have a grasp on the truth of the gospel.

So What

What does this look like to us in the here and now? How about this, "God, I come to church, Bible study, and participate in the women's group, but I can't get pregnant. God, I follow the rules, I do everything for you, and I can't have a baby, but that sixteen-year-old child next door who doesn't even want a baby gets pregnant. God, I obey the rules, and you should give me a baby.

Or, how about this one, "That guy next door is a sleaze. He is vile. He cheats on his wife. He stole from his work, and he got promoted, and I didn't. God, I am an usher and read the Gospel at Church. I help with communion. I keep the rules, God; why won't you let me get ahead?

Or this one, "God, why me? How can you give a terminal diagnosis? Father, I take care of the church building and come to church with my entire family every week. At our home, I lead devotionals. God, I work in the homeless shelter on Thursdays. God, I do everything you ask. I keep the rules. How could you do this to me?

My friends, God owes us nothing. It is we who owe God everything, including our lives. God gives us everything we need. We should be glad he does not give us what we deserve because we would be in hell for disobedience if he did. Keeping rules does not save us; doing works does not save us. What saves us is Christ; He saves us. If you are a rule keeper, you might be so deep in your moralism that you may not even understand this message. When you fail, you turn deeper inside the rules and farther away from God. You tell yourself you will do better next time instead of asking the one who saves to save you. Through Christ, all things are possible, even your salvation. Please do not live with older brother syndrome. Do not dive deeper and deeper into your self-imposed legalistic life. Turn to your brother, the firstborn among many brethren. Turn to Christ. Please turn to Christ. God's Blessings