8/11/2019 Being the Older Brother

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Greetings brothers and sisters in Christ, This short writing comes from a fresh

season of painful interaction - I hope you are touched by it. AM

Being the Older Brother

When the younger brother finally came to himself, his heart began to long once again for the love of his

father - even though he no longer consdered himself worthy to be called a son.

There is no mention of the younger son even considering the older brother during this time. Could it be thathe anticipated the rebuke of his older brother or dreaded facing the lecture he was likely to receive !t"s #ust

con#ecture, but the only ones mentioned in the young man"s thoughts of home was the father and the servants.

!t is also interesting that it was the father who saw the son first. Was this mere coincidence ! wonder if theolder brother looked as often as the father had, every day, many times. ! wonder if the older brother had the

same longing to see the younger brother as the father had to see his youngest son. ! wonder if the reports of

what the younger brother had done to the family name had produced the same effect upon the older brotherthat they had upon the father. ! wonder who missed the younger son the most. !s that why the father saw him

while he was still a long ways off Could it be that the father was the one always looking, always longing,

always hoping !t says that the older brother was already in the field, when the father saw his youngest son

from a great distance. Was the father distracted from the pressing duties of the field by the aching in hisheart ! want to think that it was not merely a coincidence, but more like a reward - the one who wanted to

see him the most was rewarded with seeing him first. !t may have even been $od protecting the younger

brother. What if the older brother had seen him first Would he have run like the %ather Would he havefallen upon his younger brother weeping with tears of #oy like the father Or would there have been a lecture,berating the younger brother for the damage he had done to the family name, and all the pain he had caused

the father"s heart. Could it be that the &ord knew if the older brother had seen him first, the prodigal might

never have made it all the way home 'erhaps the older brother would have represented the father"s heart in

such a way as to kill the small glimer of hope the younger brother was clinging to that his father somehowwould still love him. ! want to believe that it was $od"s mercy who allowed the father to see first what his

heart longed to see most. What made the father run What made him fall and weep Would the older brother

have done the same thing Would the older brother have called for the servant Would he have called for the

robe, and the ring, and the sandals Would he have called for the fatted calf to be slaughtered (ad the fatherbeen saving the calf for the younger son"s return

Would the older brother have called for the feast

The father was so over#oyed to have his younger son home that he must have forgotten about letting the

older brother know. Or did the father know his older son well enough to know that it might take some timefor him to accept his younger brother back One thing we do know, and that is that the father did not insist

that the first thing the prodigal son do was go and humble himself to his older brother. (e immediately began

to re#oice with the servants and probably even the neighbors. ! wonder how long the celebration had been

going before the older brother headed back home from the field. (owever long, it caught the older brother bysurprise and his first response was anger and indignation - not only toward his younger brother - but actually

even toward his father. (e #ustified his anger by the obvious comparison between the prodigal and himself.

(e had been faithful while his younger brother s)uandered his inheritance, caroused with prostitutes and

shamed the family name. (e even went on to accuse the father of not fully appreciating all his diligent,faithful service. (e was in mood to share his father"s #oy at the moment. !t"s not always good to be the older

brother.