Scripture: Luke 15:11-32
The story of the prodigal son is actually 2 stories, of the lost son and of the elder brother. Most sermons talk about the lost son that was found, little has been said about the older brother who remains with the father.
The elder brother represents PRIDE. There is an entire spectrum of pride ranging from shame on one end and arrogance at the other (more extreme) end. When the lost son returned, the elder brother was very unhappy, compared to the emotions shown by the father.
How can we turn away from pride?
1. Recognize God's provision for us
In Luke 18, Jesus told of a story of a rich man who prayed "I thank you God that I am not like other people ". This is all too common in church-goers when we see other who are less fortunate - the one who have less, issues with marriage, issues with kids, issues at work.
With pride, we missed the point and privilege of what God has provided. We start criticising others that we fail to see the blessings that we already have.
Let us not allow pride to rob us the joy that we have.
2. Remember our position in God
With pride, the brother viewed himself as a slave rather than a son. He kept on seeing his father looking for the return of his younger brother. In the Jewish custom, the elder son will always get a double portion compared to the younger son. The elder son, though he was physically present at home, missed out on the blessing and provision.
We expected that the good that we do will pay off. Sometimes when it does not, we feel frustrated and angry and ask if it is worth the trouble. Question: who are we doing this for? Is this for us or for God as an act of worship?
Our worth is not in our performance but in our position as a child of God.