Luke- The Elder Son

Luke 15:25  Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.  

The elder son came from the field. The field is where work is done. He had been working hard. The parable can also apply to those who are in the church, working hard and being faithful. The field is also a place of planting the seed of the word and harvesting souls. The son may have been tired, now he hears music and dancing?

Luke 15:26  And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
Luke 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.  

How would you have reacted? The son who was faithful was not given music and dancing, but the son who was unfaithful gets the honor and celebration. To the natural man, this does not seem to be fair.  

Luke 15:28  And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.
Luke 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:
Luke 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.  

Remember the first two brothers? Cain and Able, both worked and both shared their labors as a sacrifice. God accepted the offering of Able, a blood sacrifice pointing to the sacrifice of Jesus to come. Cain was angry at his brother and jealous. God the father warned him to not allow anger to produce sin and a wrong heart.  

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.  

The elder brother had been faithful, had done well, but now he is angry about the celebration for his brother who had sinned and returned. What if the elder brother had greeted the returning son? It would be a different story. One of anger and judgment, the repentant brother would have left in shame, perhaps being lost forever.   Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed the Lord, sought repentance from angry brothers. He went to the chief priests and elders.  

Mat 27:3  Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Mat 27:4  Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
Mat 27:5  And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.  

Will we be like the chief priests and elders? Will those who work hard for the Lord, be the cause of the death of a sinner who repents and we give him condemnation instead of grace? The Father through Jesus is calling sinners to repent and to be received with joy, we must join in this, not be a hindrance to the returning wayward sons and daughters.   We must serve Jesus as in the Bible, not with church rules and customs that bind the sinner and put more bondage on them. Receive those who come looking for repentance, open the doors, celebrate, for the angels celebrate when a sinner repents. What spirit have we?

Luke 15:31  And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Luke 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.  

The celebration was for a soul that had repented and found eternal life, if this offends we need to repent and find Jesus and a new heart.