Which Brother Are You?   (print view)

by Celesta Thiessen

Which brother are you? There are two important parables Jesus gave about two brothers. When we read these stories it is important that we know which brother we are and which brother we should be.

It is also important to note that in both these stories the father is representing God. One of the brothers is a true Christian and the other is not.

Matthew 21:28-31
There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' I will not', he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, I will, sir,' but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?

Which brother are you? The one who tries to look good. The one who says "yes, yes" but does nothing? The hypocrite? Or are you the other brother? Of course best of all would be to say yes' and do it! But of these two brothers, it is the second brother, the one who, at first, didn't seem to be the ëgood' brother who is the true Christian.

The next story will be familiar to most. The younger brother in a family told his father, shockingly, that he wants his inheritance, now! The father gave him the money. Then the son went to a distant country and squandered his inheritance on wild living. When a famine came to that land, he had nothing to live on. One day the son found that "he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating"(Luke 15:16). Then he realized his mistake. He decided to go back to his father and ask to be one of his hired hands because he was no longer worthy to be called a son. When his father saw him, he was overjoyed. He threw his coat around him and made a big feast for him. When the older brother heard about this he was outraged. He wouldn't go in to the feast.

The older brother had been the good boy all along. He felt he had always done what he should and why should his brother the sinner' get anything at all! I always viewed myself as the older brother. I have been a Christian since I was very young. I have never committed any of the big sins'. Why should a sinner get such a welcome when I have been faithful to you all along!

Then suddenly, one day, the true meaning of that parable was revealed to me. The older brother refused to come in. He was too superior and too proud. He would not come to the feast - he would not come to heaven.

Who in the audience needed to hear this message? The pharisees. God protect me from being the older brother who wouldn't come in! We are all the younger brother if we are Christians! We have all sinned!