Whose sin is greater?

Timothy Keller offers an incredible insight into the story of the prodigal son in his book The Prodigal God. Most people read that story and reflect on the grace of God that is shown to the younger son who squandered his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle. Everyone can recognize the sins the younger brother is guilty of. Few spend time focusing on the sin of the older brother. The older brother had the most to lose by the father reinstating the younger brother to the family. The younger brother had already spent his share of the inheritance, yet he was given his share back when he came home. That means the older brother lost more of his inheritance. The older brother's focus for not leaving home was to gain the approval of the father. He had the "look what I've done" mentality. God does not want us to serve Him in order to get something. He wants us to love Him and in that love for Him serve Him. Our love should not be from the mindset of what we can get from God. Instead, our love for Him should be because we love Him and service is a natural byproduct of that love. The Pharisees were like the older brothers. I would venture to say most American Christians have the older brother mentality. We try to put all our good deeds on a list in order to gain the approval of God. This is not the way life is meant to be lived. God wants us not our actions. We need to want Him and not the things He can do for us!

My sin is more like the older brother than the younger. I have not squandered away in a lifestyle that is obviously unbecoming to God. I've spent more time trying to justify myself to God and missing out on the blessing of just being with Him. Both lifestyles are a sin, yet God asks both lifestyles to come share a feast with Him. The older brother never goes in to experience the grace and love of the Father. Both have great sin, yet only one gets to experience the feast because he accepted the unconditional love of God. May we all turn from our sin, love God, and serve Him out of that love for Him and not the things He can do for us!