Lost in Church

Luke 15: 28 But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.

We Bible lovers have spent time with some interesting people. We have sailed the waves with Noah, marched around Jericho with Joshua and been through the fire with the Hebrew boys. Most of us have gone to “hell” and back with the Prodigal Son; but let’s linger a moment today with the other brother, the one who stayed home.

Junior, the big brother, was disciplined, obedient and a good example for his younger brother, Blacka. Everybody said he was so much like his father. Why couldn’t his younger brother be like him? He worked in the family business and did well. His biggest problem – everybody’s biggest problem - was Blacka (the black sheep of the family). Junior loved his brother, always correcting him when he went wrong. He just wouldn’t listen.

When Blacka came to Dad and demanded his share of his inheritance, Junior was angry. The boy was ungrateful and disrespectful; foolish too, because the moment he got it he took it and left the country. While they struggled to build up business again, Blacka didn’t even contact home – not for Daddy’s birthday, nor Junior’s wedding; not when the old man got sick, or any special occasion. Mean and ungrateful!

They heard a little news every now and then. He was living big; he was gambling; he was into drugs; jail; out again; disgrace after disgrace; then nothing… He had disappeared. Well, at least the embarrassment would stop now. Junior couldn’t understand why the old man cried for Blacka, fasting, praying for him in family worship and at church. Loyal and hardworking, in his mind he had no sympathy left for his selfish brother.

Junior went out for a couple of days and somehow didn’t manage to keep in touch. That evening, as he came home, he could hear music from afar. What was happening? A servant told him: Blacka had come home, dirty, emaciated and flat broke. Their father had made a big celebration, invited everybody and had already announced that Blacka would be a full partner in the business again. Crazy! After all that boy had done? He would be treated the same as Junior? A party for him? No way! Not fair!

And we agree. It is true. It wasn’t fair. But grace is not fair. Real forgiveness is not fair. God is not fair; at least, not by our standards. He forgives our sins, restores us to full family privileges and forgets our mistakes when we come back to him. Others will cry, “Unfair!” We might cry, “Unbelievable!” But it is true. That’s what grace is.