It’s Just Not Fair!
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“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” (Ephesians 1:7).
One Sunday, while discussing the parable of the Lost Son, we tried to put ourselves into the story. “Which character do you identify with the most?” our teacher asked.
Most of us identified with the older brother. When his father made a huge welcome home party for his younger runaway son, he refused to come into the house. “It’s just not fair!” he stormed. “Look, all these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him” (Luke 10:28-30).
The older brother ‘s rule was reward for service. “If anybody deserves a party, it’s me,” he thought. “I’ve worked for it. I’ve been faithful.” His father, though, operated on a totally different rule: that of grace and unconditional love.
Sadly, the older son, although he was living in a household of love and grace, did not accept it. At any time he could have asked for a party for himself and his friends and the Father would have gladly given him a fattened calf. All he had to do was ask. But he was so focused on service that he missed the Father’s love.
Aren’t we like that too? We’re also caught up in the performance treadmill: We have to pray more, work harder, reach more people…then God will be pleased with us. All the while God wants to lavish his grace upon us not for what we do but for who we are — His child!
God’s grace is not fair but it’s all-encompassing.
Father, thank you that your grace is greater than all our sin. Forgive me when I push away your love and grace wanting to do it my own prideful way. Make me more aware of the riches of Your grace which you want to lavish upon me today. Amen.
Questions: Are you caught up in the performance treadmill? What is God longing for most from us?
About the Author Helen Grace Lescheid
Tags: all-encompassing, Celebrate, devotional chat, disobeyed, fattened calf, forgive, forgiveness of sins, Helen Grace Lescheid, Lost Son, love and grace, treadmill, unconditional love, welcome home party
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SECOND, I wanted to comment on Jeune Jackson-Hozumi’s question. I found the “Parable of the Lost Son” in Luke 15:11-32 and as far as the father’s generosity towards his older son, I believe that is inferred in verse 31 when the father reminds the son that “everything I have is yours.” I think the point is that just because we haven’t asked and therefore not received, that does not mean that the father has not given it to us. What Our Father God has given to us through his One and Only Son’s death on the cross is ALL we will ever need and that is the greatest act of generosity anything can every give! I picture God with opened hands towards us giving to us all the time but we do have to do our part in receiving that…he is not going to force anything on us…even good things. And I think that the parable is just as much about the older son as the younger son. Because like mentioned in the devotional, sadly most of us relate with the older brother and learn more about the father’s words to the older son rather than the younger son. Though of course the life choices of the younger son speak just as loudly to us and remind us of the Father’s unconditional love for us when we choose to return to him.
I would love to hear any other thoughts on what Jeune Jackson-Hozumi as well as what I shared. I think it is great we can have a conversation about these things so that we can get as much out of God’s Word as we can. I know there is probably so much more I can learn from this parable than I have.
Bless you all as you continue to seek the Lord’s will through this passage.
FIRST, I want to say that it took me a few days to read this devotional because I was behind on my e-mail and praise God, when I read it today it came at the perfect time! I was just talking to my sister-in-law about how I have learned that I too can have the “it’s not fair” mentality with others who choose to go away from God and then come back and expect good things from the Father. It is very sad that I struggle with being merciful towards those who need mercy more than anyone else. It is sad that I do not just rejoice that their eyes have been opened. I repent of my lack of love and ask forgiveness for those who I have not welcomed with open arms back into the Family of God just as God does to me everyday when I sin against him and come back to him! I do not want to be like the older brother who is not happy about his brothers return but rather focuses on what he hasn’t received. Because like the Father said to his son, “Everything I have is yours!” It is not that I have failed to realize that but like the older son,I have felt that I deserved it more because of what I have DONE. Shame on me, really. Nothing I have is because of what I have done, but all because of what Christ has done for me!!! Praise His name and may I now rejoice with the angels when one who went astray soon returns to their Father!
Could you please refer me to the scripture that refers to the generosity of the father toward his older son? It seems that the author is assuming a great deal here. I don’t think this story relates very much about how the father treated the older son prior to this juncture. We are not told if the son asked anything of the father or not. I think we should state facts that are in evidence. Thank you for your time.
What is often overlooked in the story of the prodigal son is that the older brother also got his share of the inheritance. Verse 12: “So the father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.”
God is longing for us to seek Him daily, spend quality time with him. He wants us to be in a personal relationship with Him. I made a promise to myself that in my prayers today I wasnt going to ask God for anything. I was going to spend the day exhalting him and giving the praise and glory he so much deserves.
thank you for this it was a great reminder to me today