The Heart of the Father: Embracing Grace Beyond Fairness

In our fast-paced world, we are often bombarded with information. So today, before we dive into the message, let's take a moment to pause and invite God to speak to us in the stillness.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” - Psalm 46:10

This moment of quiet helps remind us that God’s grace is sufficient—whether we believe we’ve outgrown our need for it, or we feel we’ve strayed too far to ever receive it.

The Prodigal God - Part 3: Why ‘Goodness’ Isn’t Enough

Today, we’re in part three of a series called Prodigal God, based on the well-known parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Many of us are familiar with the younger son’s story—he left home, squandered his inheritance, and returned to the father's open arms. But there's a second act to this parable that is just as important: the older brother's story.

In many ways, the older brother is even more lost than the younger one. Let’s take a closer look at his reaction and what it tells us about self-righteousness, grace, and how we often relate to God.

The Older Brother’s Defiance

The older brother comes home after a long day of work, only to hear music and dancing. Confused, he asks a servant what’s going on and learns that his younger brother has returned, and their father has thrown an extravagant party, even killing the fattened calf—the most expensive celebration of their lifetime.

How does the older brother react? Anger. Resentment. Refusal to join the celebration.

In that moment, the older brother publicly shames his father by refusing to go in. His actions are not just about fatigue or frustration—they’re a clear statement: I disagree with my father’s decision.

The Pharisees and religious leaders listening to Jesus’ story would have been shocked. The older brother’s refusal to join the celebration was as disrespectful as the younger brother’s request for his inheritance while the father was still alive.

Self-Righteousness vs. Grace

The older brother’s anger reveals the deception in his heart—his obedience to the father was never about love or devotion. It was transactional. He obeyed to earn the father’s favor, to gain control of the inheritance, and now he feels cheated. In his mind, this isn’t fair.

This is a powerful reflection of how many of us approach our relationship with God. We try to earn His blessings by being good, moral, and dutiful. We may not realize it, but we can often slip into a mindset where we see our obedience as a means to an end.

But here’s the truth: God’s blessings aren’t earned. They’re freely given, not based on how good we are, but because we are His children.

The Father’s Grace is Sufficient

The climax of the story is the father’s response to the older brother’s defiance. The father leaves the party, humbling himself to go out and plead with his son to come inside. The father doesn’t respond with anger or judgment but with grace and mercy.

“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” - Luke 15:31

In this moment, the father gently reminds the older brother that his inheritance isn’t something to be earned. It’s his by birthright. Everything the father has is already his. Just like the younger son, the older brother is in desperate need of grace—grace that he doesn’t realize he needs.

An Invitation to Grace

Jesus leaves the story open-ended. We don’t know if the older brother repents and joins the celebration. Why? Because the parable is an invitation—not just to the Pharisees, but to all of us.

If we see ourselves in the older brother—faithful, obedient, but perhaps resentful or self-righteous—Jesus invites us to let go of our need for fairness and control. He invites us to step into the celebration of grace, a grace that cannot be earned but is freely given.

Will you accept the Father’s invitation to join the party?

Final Thoughts

Maybe you’ve been the older brother, trying to earn God’s favor through your own efforts. Maybe you’ve looked down on others who seem to receive grace more easily. Or maybe you’ve feared that you haven’t done enough to earn God’s blessings.

The Father’s response is clear: “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” God’s grace is not about fairness or earning—it’s about His love for you, His child.

So, come into the party. Celebrate the grace that’s freely given. You don’t have to earn it—it’s already yours.

Based on a sermon by Stephen Saxton given on September 22, 2024