Like God or Like Satan?
Luke 15:11–32
It was fitting to celebrate and be glad. Luke 15:32

In the parable of the lost son, many find it easy to sympathize with the older son. I know I do. But I also know that in sympathizing with him I am showing how little like the Father and how much like Satan and the other fallen angels I am. We sympathize with the older son because we think of ourselves as being like him. We are not like the prodigal—so we imagine. We are like that faithful, hardworking, obedient son—so we suppose. But we are not! Or if we are, it is not entirely because we are regenerate but because we have within us the spirit of a hired servant, who works for money, rather than the spirit of a son, who works because he loves his father. What was wrong with the older son? Several things: first, he loved property more than people. He would have been quite happy if the money had come back and his brother had been lost. As it was, he was angry that the property was lost and his brother recovered. Second, and as a result of his first error, he had an inflated estimate of his own importance and a scorn of others. He was loyal, hardworking, obedient—or so he thought. So low was his opinion of his brother that he would not even acknowledge his relationship to him, calling him only “this son of yours” (v. 30).

This brings the parable back to the point where it began (vv. 1–2). The Pharisees are the older son. They are those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (18:9). That also brings the parable back to us, if we consider ourselves better than others or imagine that we are children of the Father because of our character or supposed good works and not purely because of God’s good favor.

Will we fault God for acting according to his own gracious nature? If so, he will not accept our accusation. He will acknowledge no wrong on his part. It is right that heaven should rejoice over the repentant sinner; and if we would be like our Father in heaven, we should rejoice also. For the prodigal is our brother, whether or not we acknowledge it. The older son referred to the prodigal as “this son of yours,” but the father replied, “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” We are never so like God as when we rejoice at the salvation of sinners. We are never so like Satan as when we despise those who are thus converted and think ourselves superior to them.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.