He refused to go in
We are reflecting on this week’s parable as told by the Gospel Luke 15: 1-32 - The Prodigal Son.
The elder son, the one who stayed with his father, on seeing the celebration called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
And he said to him, ‘your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father. ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
He stood outside and refused to go in. His stubbornness and his response to his father’s plea reveal a heart gripped by jealousy and hardened against mercy. Blinded by his own sense of justice, he cannot grasp the true nature of his father’s love—a love that is freely given, not earned. Trapped in a mindset of transaction rather than grace, he sees himself as a servant rather than a son, unable to rejoice in the mercy that restores what was lost.
His mindset mirrors that of the scribes and Pharisees—those who measured righteousness by strict adherence to law rather than the transformative power of mercy. Like them, he sees justice as something to be calculated, where reward is earned and grace is resented when given freely.
This same mentality pervades much of the world today, where success is often defined by merit, and the idea of unearned forgiveness is met with resistance. In his refusal to enter, he stands as a symbol of all who refuse to accept a love that is freely given.
So often we can look down on those who do not follow the plan, those we judge to be sinning and justify their failure that it is of their own doing. We refuse to forgive, to give them a second chance, discarding them to the refuse of life.
The elder son challenges us to see the Pharisaic tendencies within ourselves. He calls us to examine our hearts—do we resent forgiveness and mercy when it is given to those we deem unworthy?
Do we stand outside, clinging to a sense of righteousness, or do we enter the feast, embracing the Father’s boundless love? Will we step into the joy of His forgiveness - forgiveness for ourselves and for others?
Friends, Sandee and I are contemplating embarking on a Pilgrimage for Peace as part of our Jubilee Year observations. My assignment as Deacon Pastor and Parish Administrator comes to an end 30th June and we hope to embark on this pilgrimage 1st July.
We will be offering it up for Peace at all levels (World, Nations, Families and Individuals). We especially will be praying for peace in the lives of the subscribers to this newsletter. I will keep you posted on its development.