Restored ... so party!

Luke 15 :31-32 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

This Sunday, Chris Cano talked with us about the Prodigal Son. Something in particular that struck me this Sunday was Chris's comment that it was actually quite costly to be the older son. When the Father says, "Everything I have is yours," that everything is a diminished inheritance - made smaller by the choices of the younger son. It's also costly to be the younger son, but Chris called us to imagine the frustration the older son must have had when his Father reinstates his younger brother. 

After all, the younger brother squandered his share of the inheritance and reduced the overall wealth of the family. So why should the older brother be fine with or even happy about sharing sonship with this younger brother again? 

But the parable says, "We had to celebrate ... he was lost and is found"! The restoration of the younger brother is so deeply valued by the Father! If you find yourself empathizing with the older brother here, what might it look like to celebrate with the Father at the younger brother's restoration?