kylegrevengoed.com

Your source for Living Hope, finance, sports, and..well...pretty much anything but politics!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Prodigal Son, Older Brother

The parable of the prodigal son is very possibly the most preached passage in churches both now, the past, and probably the future. This is done for good reason. This parable speaks volumes to so many people with it's powerful symbolism of the love of the Father. The three central figures in this parable being the father, the prodigal son, and the older brother. The older brother naturally gets a bad rap, and its seems, at face value, like an accurate assumption, but I beg to differ (And I am not speaking as an older brother).

The older brother faithfully served in the home of his father exactly as the people in there day and age should, and as the younger brother should have acted. He gets the reputation as a man filled with anger and jealousy but would this type of man have stayed home so faithfully? I think not! Instead I propose that the older brother simply had a prodigal moment himself. His was not years long, nor did it cost him his livelihood, causing him to desire the pig's slop. His was a moment of anger and jealousy toward his recently found brother who was celebrated with the best of the farm (likely the older brother's labor, at least in part). Seriously, are you telling me you wouldn't feel at least a little angry and jealous if you were in his shoes?

If the father represents God and the younger brother represents the lost who are found, the older brother represents the followers who, while not perfect, continued to serve the Lord faithfully. I love the analogy of the church as a rescue boat, and the older brother would have most definitely been a crew member of the rescue boat. The man who momentarily gets wrapped up in rewards instead of the mission. This weak moment does not make this man a hateful, angry, and jealous man, it makes him a man who momentarily succumbed to the temptations of this world. In his day it was a party where the best crops, meat, and wine are served. On the rescue ship it is the man who brags about how many he has saved, instead of trying to figure our why he couldn't save that one guy he lost. In our life it is the people who get wrapped up in what the church is doing for them, or celebrate more for their favorite athlete than they do for a new Christian.

The older brother made a mistake and succumbed to temptation just like any other human. However, the older brother faithfully served his father without abandon, and the father's house would not have been the same without him. I think if Jesus were to have continued the parable the older brother would have continued to spew, sinfully, throughout the party, but as the party was winding down he would have gone into the house, welcomed his brother home, and celebrated the lost being found.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Waiting? Why?

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”

I recently posted a status update with this poem but wanted to expand upon this simple paragraph. To be clear I am not saying that you can get to heaven by doing things, so do not try to tell me anything of the sort.

If eternal life (including life on earth and in heaven) were a sporting event heaven would be the celebration of the game you just completed, while life would be your time in the game. Your time to be a part of God's plan. If you have faith, have accepted Jesus into your heart having accepted his wonderful gift on the cross you are going to the party in heaven, but would you rather be the guy in the field on the final out of a World Series giving your team the win, or would you rather be on the bench? Of course you will celebrate regardless, but seriously people, the win is sweeter when you are in the field!

I definitely want to finish my one and only life totally worn out and screaming "Woo Hoo what a ride!" I unapologetic-ally wonder how people can let life pass them by while they stand on the sidelines! Get involved and be apart of the game because God wants you to be apart of His plan, however, He doesn't need you and if you choose to stay on the sidelines God will use someone else willing to get dirty, tired, and worn out.

As much as I want to finish the game worn out, and believe others would be rewarded to do the same thing do not underestimate the importance of rest and relaxation. To go back to the baseball analogy, even the biggest stars sit of a hottub/whirlpool and take a day off occasionally.

Get in the game, don't waste your one and only opportunity to be apart of God's plan.