Am I an Elder Brother?

Am I an Elder Brother?

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in ..." Luke 15:28.

Yesterday at the Colony Chapel, Pastor John Hibbard shared a message on the two lost sons. Most of us know the story as the parable of the prodigal son. Most messages focus on the son that took his portion of his inheritance, squandered and wasted it, ended up in the pigsty, but then repented and returned home.

But there are some pretty powerful lessons to be learned from the other son who was lost -- the elder brother. He had it all together! In fact, he did all the right things ... well at least externally. The first son's sins were obvious -- the elder brother's sins were not so obvious, but every bit as real.

This weekend I read Dr. Tim Keller's book, THE PRODIGAL GOD -- Recovering The Heart of the Christian Faith. In this powerful read, he suggests several observations about the elder brother that I believe are worth noting:

1. The first sign that YOU might have an elder brother spirit is that when YOUR life doesn't go as YOU want, you aren't just sorrowful, but deeply angry and bitter. I have often said that bitterness is like poison -- it will kill you. I have a dear friend that has allowed their life to be consumed with bitterness that goes back some 40+ years ago. They would like you to think that their life bleeds Jesus. Not so -- touch this person and the puss and poison come spewing out.

2. The elder brother's inability to handle suffering arises from the fact that their moral OBSERVANCE is results-oriented. The good life is not for delight in good deeds themselves, but calculated as ways to control their environment.

3. Elder brothers expect their goodness to pay off, and if it doesn't, there is confusion and anger. If you think goodness and decency is the way to merit a good life from God, you will be eaten up with anger, since life never goes as we wish. The elder brother will always FEEL that they are owed more then they are getting.

4. Elder brothers have a strong sense of their own superiority.

5. Elder brothers base their self-images on being hardworking, or moral, or members of an elite clan, or extremely smart and savvy. This inevitably leads to feeling superior to those who don't have those same qualities. Competitive comparison is the main way elder brothers achieve their sense of their our significance.

6. Elder brother self-righteousness not only creates racism and classism, but at the personal level creates an unforgiving, judgmental spirit.

7. Elder brothers' sin and antipathy to God is hidden deep beneath layers of self-control and moral behavior, they have no trouble feeling superior to just about anyone. If they see people who lie, cheat on their wives, or don't pray to God -- they look down on them. If such people wrong THEM, elder brothers feel their spotless record gives them the right to be highly offended and to perpetually remind the wrongdoer of his or her failure.

I'll share more of Tim's insights tomorrow. But the question I am asking myself -- do I have an elder brother spirit in any area of my life? If so, I need to repent, go back to the Cross and do business with the Lord. -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 10; Leviticus 8-10; Matthew 25:31-46

Great Quote: The complaint that church is boring is never made by people in awe. R. C. Sproul