In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus gives us one of the most well-known parables in all of scripture. He tells us about a father and his two sons.
The younger son asks for his share of his father’s inheritance, runs off and squanders the money. He eventually returns home to his father’s enthusiastic welcome.
When we read this story, the conclusion we often draw is that we can never stray too far from God. We even refer to this parable as the story of “the prodigal son,” despite my Bible calling it the parable of the prodigal and his brother.” While the story of the prodigal is certainly true, I believe that by focusing solely on this, we miss several important pieces of the puzzle.
Coming to this conclusion of God’s unfailing, daring, merciful love as the point of the parable is relatively easy, yet still radical. I don’t want to discredit that.
The last verse, Luke 15:32, reads: “But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” This verse—and the parable as a whole—is an incredible testament to the love of God which reaches farther and deeper than we could possibly comprehend.
Even so, the story becomes far more interesting when we consider each character a little more closely.
In the case of Luke 15, we often see ourselves as the older brother. Sure, many of us know how it feels to wander away from God. Perhaps we believed we could discover more in the world than what God had to offer.
Maybe we felt rejected by the church, forsaken by God, or had been told lies about who God is—lies that made us fearful of God or ashamed of who we are.
Perhaps we have experienced tremendous pain and simply could not bring ourselves to trust God through those hardships. Whatever the reason, many of us have strayed away from God at one point or another, myself included.
So yes, this is most definitely a story about God’s mercy and love for humanity. It is also a story about forgiveness.
The father in the story forgives his younger son when he leaves home and squanders his inheritance. The father also forgives the older son, who looks down on his brother and rebukes his father for choosing to extend mercy.
Does that last part sound familiar? I know we would rather not think of ourselves as people who are resentful of forgiveness and mercy, but we often are.
How often have you heard or uttered, “It’s not fair!” “Why is he getting a break when I’ve been working harder?” “Why is she getting this position? I’m more qualified!”
I’ve said these things myself. I have fallen into the temptation to idolize myself and allow my own ego to blind me.
But time and again, we hear Jesus tell stories about what “fair” means in the kingdom of God. Jesus flips our human understanding of how the world should work upside down.
Fair is giving each of your laborers the same wage, whether they worked for one hour or twelve (Matthew 20). Fair is the poor widow giving two small coins (Mark 12). Fair is selling all of our possessions and giving the money to the poor (Matthew 19).
Next time you hear this story read from a pulpit, reflect on how you might be the older brother. Remember the radical teachings of Jesus, whose encouragement pushes us to leave worldly comforts behind and seek to make earth “as it is in heaven.”
Refuse to accept and perpetuate the injustices that plague our world. Resist the temptation to be the older brother—bitter, jealous, and resentful—and great will be your reward.
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Luke Emerson is a junior at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky studying business and education. He is excited to serve as Good Faith Media’s fall 2025 intern.
