21 Days of Filiation: God, Family & ChurchSýnishorn

THE ELDER SON

Now it is time to talk about the other son in the parable of the prodigal son ─ the older brother. He is the politically correct one. He was very hardworking, responsible, and knew the value of things. However, he suffered from another kind of orphanhood ─ religiosity.

In the story Jesus tells, when the younger son repents and returns, the father throws a party. When the older son hears about it, he rebels and complains to his father. In the speech, one can see that the elder son was more like a servant than a son. He was close to his father but did not enjoy what his father had, so much so that his father replied to his complaint: "Son, everything I have is yours! In other words, the older son developed a slave mentality rather than a son mentality. All this teaches us a lot. In this journey about sonship, you need to let go of all religiosity. Religiosity cannot bring a sense of sonhood, and its normal is a distancing from God the Father. Religiosity (the mark of the eldest son) brings damage to spirituality and endless estrangement. To be a son is to enjoy the inheritance.

In Jesus, we have been blessed with all sorts of blessings, and we need to access them, be they spiritual or material. What Jesus has conquered is our right and our inheritance. How you arrive at your biological parents' home demonstrates much of your relationship with them. Close children have freedom with the Father. So run away from the big brother syndrome; get over religiosity and decide to enjoy your sonship.