Chapter Four of Talent For A Mission ends with the final verses of Luke 15: 25-32 of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, where the brother of the prodigal son, who has always been faithful to his father and has always done the work his father required, becomes angry with the father because his “lost” and “riotous living” younger brother, upon returning to his father, is feted with a fatted calf—while this always faithful son was NEVER treated with such a reward! So this older brother gets on his dad’s case for this “royalty” treatment to a wayward brother who wasted his inheritance when he could have not wasted it.
Below are the verses from Luke 15:25-32—
{15:25} Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
{15:26} And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
{15:27} And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
{15:28} And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
{15:29} And he answering said to [his] father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
{15:30} But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
{15:31} And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
{15:32} It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
To sum up, the elder son is angry because the younger ‘prodigal’ son is getting a hefty “fatted calf” reward just because he gave up the “riotous” lifestyle and returned to his father, a hefty reward father never had given to him. One would think the elder son would be thrilled his younger brother gave up that wasteful lifestyle and returned to his father after learning the negative consequences of that wasteful lifestyle.
Continue reading “Talent For A Mission: Chapter Four (Part Five)”
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