We hear his reaction
in The Parable of the Older Son in Luke 15:25-31: 25 “Meanwhile, the older son
was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and
dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him
what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied,
‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and
sound.’
28 “The older brother became
angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But
he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and
never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could
celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours
who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the
fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said,
‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 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.’”
Did you notice that the
father “went out and pleaded with him” to join in this happy occasion? The
brother was so “Me” oriented that he could not see past his own needs and
greed. Sadly, this still exists today. Instead of focusing on ourselves so much
– what would happen if we focused on those who are lost and need to be restored
to God through Jesus?
I hope we’d have
revival.