The Parable of the Prodigal: Part 3

This morning as we finish up the story of the Prodigal Son we see the reaction of the older son.

Some, simplistically, have argued that the older son represents Christians, since he remained at home and was outwardly obedient to his father.

In reality, however, he represents the apostate legalists, in the form of the scribes and Pharisees.

They had no grace for those that left and then wanted to return.

For them it was not a matter of salvation but of family honor.

Once a family member turned their backs on the faith they would never be welcomed back.

This was the view of the oldest son, he did not want to be treated like his brother, he did not want his brother there at all.

A Shameful Reaction (vv 25-30)

The older son had been out in the field all day overseeing the workers and was unaware of his brother’s return and the subsequent party.

When he came in from the field and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

That he knew nothing of the reconciliation and had not heard the sounds of the party earlier indicates the huge size of the family estate designed into the story.

Surprised at finding a village-wide celebration in progress that he knew nothing about, he summoned one of the servants (perhaps one of the young boys hanging around the fringes of the party) and began inquiring what these things could be.

He was not in the loop regarding the party, even though as the firstborn the responsibility for planning it should have fallen to him.

Further, it was his resources, from his share of the estate, that were being used for the party, yet he had not been consulted.

Legally, his father did not have to get his permission to use the resources, even though he had already dispersed to him the remaining two thirds of the estate.

As we talked about last week the father retained control of the estate as long as he lived.

But his father’s failure to consult him indicates once again that the older brother had no relationship with him or his younger brother.

In terms of his relationship to his family he was metaphorically, as well as literally, far away in a field. (Out in left field)

For years that older son had managed to conceal his true feelings of resentment toward his father and brother.

All along, though, he had been wicked like his brother, only inwardly, not outwardly.

But this event exposed his real attitude.

In a burst of public display from long-cultivated private hatred, he became angry and was not willing to go in to celebrate with the others.

He could not rejoice over the recovery of his lost brother because he had no love for his father.

He failed to understand unmerited favor, free forgiveness, and deliverance from shame by the actions of the offended one endowed with the authority to forgive.

The scribes and Pharisees would have applauded his reaction.

Finally, they must have thought, someone is upholding honor and acting righteously in anger over the son’s shameful sin and the father’s shameful forgiveness.

They would have considered his father’s actions outrageous and shameful, in the same way they considered Christ’s associating with tax collectors and sinners wicked.

And picturing them, the older son was a hypocritical legalist, doing what was expected of him on the outside, but inwardly filled with secret sins, such as bitterness, hatred, jealousy, anger, and lust. Matt. 23:28

Matthew 23:28 ESV

So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

The truth is, he was more profoundly and truly lost than his prodigal younger brother, because he had spent his life convincing himself and others that he was good and morally upright.

That made it impossible for him to acknowledge that he was in reality a wretched sinner.

So it was with the scribes and Pharisees, they were “the righteous” that unlike “sinners” would not come to repentance. Matt. 9:13

Matthew 9:13 ESV

Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The picture is striking.

The legalistic older brother stood alone in the dark reviling his gracious father, who at the same time was being honored at the joyous celebration of his lost son’s recovery.

His actions graphically picture the scribes and Pharisees.

They were unrepentant, self-righteous, hypocritical externalists, choosing to revile and scorn Jesus Christ, God incarnate, for reconciling sinners whom all Jewish religious society had rejected, instead of joining the heavenly banquet with those praising God for their salvation.

A Shameful Response (vv31-32)

The picture is striking.

The legalistic older brother stood alone in the dark reviling his gracious father, who at the same time was being honored at the joyous celebration of his lost son’s recovery.

His actions graphically picture the scribes and Pharisees.

They were unrepentant, self-righteous, hypocritical externalists, choosing to revile and scorn Jesus Christ, God incarnate, for reconciling sinners whom all Jewish religious society had rejected, instead of joining the heavenly banquet with those praising God for their salvation.

The older sons shameful response shows the true inner thoughts and beliefs that he has.

The Tragic Ending

Don’t forget that Jesus told this parable—including the abrupt ending—chiefly for the benefit of the scribes and Pharisees.

It was really a story about them.

The elder brother represented them. The hanging resolution underscored the truth that the next move was theirs.

The father’s final tender plea was Jesus’ own gentle appeal to them. If they had demanded to know the end of the parable on the spot, Jesus might well have said to them, “That is up to you.” The Pharisees’ ultimate response to Jesus would write the end of the story in real-life.

We therefore know how the tale really ended, then, don’t we?

It is not a happy ending.

Instead, it’s another shocking plot turn.

In fact, it is the greatest shock and outrage of all time.

They killed Him.

They Kill Jesus they heard His words saw His Miracles but did not believe.