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 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Luke 15:31-32 (NIV)

I’ve been thinking a lot about the prodigal brother. I am the prodigal brother. That is the first step towards recovery, right? Admission? So I admit it.

The Older Brother

I’ve read and heard the parable numerous times. Sometimes pastors will focus on the father in the story and other times the prodigal son, but what about the elder brother? I can relate to him.

 “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 15:28-30 (NIV)

Sleeping with Swine

We read in the parable that the prodigal son was eating the food for the pigs and sleeping in the pigsty. On a side note, sleeping with pigs was a dual fold bad thing to do. Not only was it not just a good idea, but it was also forbidden.

“And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.”

Leviticus 11:7 (NIV)

“Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty.”

Leviticus 5:2-3 Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Touching-Unclean-Things

What about me?

I see “Christians” doing things in my mind that aren’t right. Being greedy, taking advantage of people, being egotistical, and on and on. But, you say, you aren’t God. That’s right but I can read the Bible and understand right and wrong.

So the argument could be “once saved always saved”. These people doing things that aren’t right are covered. They are saved by God’s grace OR they weren’t ever really saved in the first place so you can’t expect them to behave. My question is this: does either one of these choices give someone a pass? If yes, why I am I doing what I think to be right?

I think that is my hang-up over the whole story. It’s what about me? That isn’t a Christian attitude to have either. I am to look towards the Heavenly Father and let him sort it out. Being and frustrated can also be a trigger of these feelings leaving me with the idea that I take one step forward and three steps back. Wouldn’t it just be easier to go take a nap with the pigs?

Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer to my conundrum. I can’t help the way I feel. In part, I think the elder brother and I are both jealous. We see people living the “good life” and we are steady working in the fields. I think we both want someone to be held accountable for their actions and at the same time, we crave an attaboy. Not from the world, but from the FATHER.