My Brother is Alive!

Luke 15 gives us the account of a prodigal son who chose to ask his father for his inheritance and leave. He wasted his money and found himself alone, hungry and without provision. He knew he had nothing else coming to him, but he returned home to beg for the mercy of his father. When the young man was in sight, the father went out to meet him, joyfully declaring, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry” (v. 24). The father said “my son was dead.” To him, the boy had made a decision which left him completely out of his life. He recognized the son would never return home and had decided to be dead to the rest of the family in search of his own frivolous life. Thankfully, the father also recognized his return home when he said, “and is alive again.”

The other, faithful brother, was bitter about his brother’s return. He would not celebrate with everyone else. “And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him” (v. 28). The father, in his abundant love for this son, came to him to bring him into the merriment. So disappointed was this son that he wouldn’t even refer to the prodigal as his brother. He said, “this thy son” rather than “my brother.” “And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found” (vv. 31-32). Do we ever take the attitude of the faithful son when there are returning prodigals? The father reminded him that this was his brother and that he would never neglect his faithfulness to him. Let us ever be ready to rejoice with those who were dead, but are resurrected by the power of salvation. You and I were lost, but by God’s amazing grace, we have been restored to the Father, just as the prodigal.