Two Brothers and Both Wrong.

       In Luke 15:11-32  the Lord tells a story about two brothers and their father. It is not just about how one son failed to honor the father. It is about the failure of both. The younger brother insulted his father by demanding his inheritance right now! He used the windfall of money to go to sin city and live it up with wild living. He wasted his father's hard work and money. The young man came to himself when the fast friends and cheap thrills were gone. In dire straights he was working for minimum wage feeding pigs. He realized what a fool he had been in running away from his father. He saw in his loneliness and hunger how much better life had been in relationship with his dad.
      The older brother failed in a different way. He refused to forgive his younger brother for the way he wasted the family money and caused a scandal in the town. He wanted his younger brother to be gone forever. He was a hard worker and never played around. He did not know how to enjoy life and was jealous of his fun loving kid brother. When the wild kid came home the older brother refused to come into the house.  He refused to show mercy. He complained that his brother did not deserve a party of welcome and that he would not be any part of it.  He failed his father by not extending  mercy and encouragement to his fallen brother.
    This parable is an expression of the truth that we all sin and fall short of the plans God has for us.  The Pharisees of Jesus day were keen on condemning the wild and openly immoral folks. They were shocked that Jesus was a friend to people they considered worthless sinners.  Jesus welcomed people who were shunned by the Pharisees as a lost cause.
    The Pharisees were like the older brother who was blind to his own hard heart and lack of compassion. How easy it is to be blind to our own flaws and ways we fail our Lord. They thought they were better than other people because of negative rule keeping.  We all need to keep the "Thou Shall Not" so that we can protect our family health. The Lord also calls us to a positive purpose of mercy, compassion and concern to lift up those who have fallen.  The Pharisees did not see that they were committing the great sin of omitting to demonstrate the love of God towards broken people. They neglected the call of God to make a positive difference in the life of hurting people.
     It is my belief that Jesus never called people the label of "sinners".  The Pharisees were quick to assign this label and act like they had no sin of their own. We are children of God who do sin and need forgiveness. Our core identity is not a "sinner".  Our deepest identity is that we are a child of God who can walk in the light of forgiveness, do our best to observe the rules, and seek to give positive actions to help other people.  Thank the Lord that he forgives both kinds of brothers who got it so wrong.  If we give the Lord a willing heart to share His mercy then He will guide us to bring other people to the celebration of His welcome home !