Tell Me A Story: Devotions From Time Of Grace MinistrySample

STORY #3: The “good” son

Alas, not all is well. The good boy is fuming.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘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 15:25,28-30).

It is a miserable fact of human nature that some bad boys and bad girls are still out in the cold because they assume that their older brothers and sisters (a.k.a. church people) judge them and despise them. The church is supposed to be the official broker of God’s mercy, but you know, sometimes the institution is as cold and suspicious as the older son in this parable.

The hypocrisy reeks. People with their lives more under control are still by nature sinful as well and need Christ’s mercy and forgiveness just as much as prodigals. And if they have stayed in church while others ran away, even that is a gift from the working of the Holy Spirit. The fuller they are of themselves, the less room there is in their hearts for Christ.