No Love for His Brother

​Meditation
Luke 15:28-30—"Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’”

Jesus told the story of a young man who left home, squandered his inheritance, and returned later with his tail between his legs to rejoin his family.  His forgiving father ran to him, embraced and kissed him, and ordered the servants to prepare a feast.

Listening to this parable, one gets the impression the older brother is a legalist. Legalism is burdensome and robs people of joy. Anger wells up in a man obsessed with rule-keeping while an undeserving brother is rewarded for immature decisions. Legalism draws attention to its self-focused possessor. This reveals deeper problems like jealousy, insecurity, and an inability to forgive.
           
When there is no love for the brother, a legalistic attitude is exposed for what it is—hypocritical thinking. Orders are more important than redemption. One gets the feeling the elder brother kept the rules, but with his attitude of “slaving many years for you,” he possessed a critical attitude even toward his father.  Is it surprising his dad had little inclination for goat-giving for this son and his friends? 
           
Beware of obedience devoid of love.  The sure sign that this is the operative condition is an absence of compassion, complaining when people are restored, and sulking instead of attending the party. Don’t expect empathy from a black-and-white, rule-obsessed mind that favors punishment over blessing.  

Before sharing the parable of the lost son, Jesus taught:
What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?  When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,  and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’  I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance. (15:4-7).

Jesus pursued the lost sheep. He didn’t kill and eat it for disobedient wandering. Our perfect Father rejoices over those who repent, and so should we.  Something to think about . . . in reveration.
 
Inspiration
“Legalism is the enemy of Jesus.”—Carl Medearis in Speaking of Jesus
 
©2023 Daniel York ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you want to receive these devotionals, go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.     
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)