The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most beautiful in the gospels. Found in Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells the story of a son who demands his share of the inheritance and upon receiving it, squanders all of it in sinful living. Reaching the bottom, he comes to his senses and returns to the Father, who is waiting eagerly for his son to come home.

When the prodigal came to his senses, he did not want to return as a son, but as a servant. He said to himself,  “In my sin, I thought I was worthy; In my brokenness, I know I am not!”

Oh, that we would all say the same!

But the older brother is enraged with the royal welcoming home of the prodigal! The most interesting revelations come from his anger:

His pride  –   “I’m worthy; He’s not!!!” and “Where’s my party?!”

His sick heart –  If the older brother had the father’s heart, he would have not just joined the party, but he would have called all the friends to come, killed the calf, cooked the food, baked the cake, and led in a tearful speech about his love for his brother and his joy now being complete to have him home! He didn’t do these things because he didn’t have the father’s heart!

But the father said the oldest son was with him every day!

That leads me to this question:

How can you be in the Father’s presence and not have the Father’s heart?

Continued …