Of Freedom and ForgivenessSample

The Unforgiving Older Brother

Can you remember something funny or very foolish that one of your brothers or sisters did while you were growing up? Was there ever a time that your sibling refused to forgive you? How did you feel? Yesterday, we looked at the story of the Prodigal Son. Today we are going to look at the last part of that parable to see what Jesus was teaching about forgiving others. In this chapter, Jesus told three parables. Let’s look to see who Jesus was telling this parable to. Who was it Jesus was talking to? It was the Pharisees and teachers of the law. These were people who thought they were better than “sinners.” We need to be careful that we do not make the same mistake. The son who had turned his back on his own family and foolishly wasted his inheritance had returned home! He had come humbly, asking for forgiveness. But the older brother refused to join the celebration. What do you think the father was feeling? While there was joy for the “bunso” (youngest), there was disappointment for “kuya” (older). The older brother was feeling injustice, anger, and jealousy.

Question: What happens to a person when they refuse to forgive someone?

Question: When you hear this story, to whom do you relate to the most? The Father, the Prodigal Son, or the Older Brother?

Is there someone who you have a hard time relating to because of something wrong they did? Or maybe it’s something you did that hurt them. In these verses, what does Jesus say we must do? Go and be reconciled to your brother. When we think about how much God has forgiven each one of us, isn’t it amazing that we still have such a hard time forgiving others? God wants us to act the way He acts: God is always ready to run to a person who has done wrong to Him, embrace him, and forgive him. Is that easy for you to do? NO!! Only by the power of the Holy Spirit within us will we be able to fully forgive and accept those who have hurt us.

Reflection Time: Think about a relationship you need to deal with – a person you need to forgive, a person to whom you need to apologize to.