In Luke 15:11-32 we find the beautiful story of what we know to be “The Prodigal Son”. Over the years as this story has been interpreted somehow we have made the son out to be the hero. First of all, let me point out that there were three distinct characters in this story. There was the father, the son and the brother. We also find three very different characteristics and three individuals each with a very different sets of values.

THE YOUNGER SON: The story starts out with the fact that there were two sons and the younger of the two came and demanded his father give him his portion of his inheritance. I don’t know about back then, but in today’s modern times, the estate gets distributed to the heirs upon the estate holder’s death. Let me also point out in the NIV translation it says the son said, “give me”. He didn’t ask, he basically demanded it; he was saying, “it would be better for me if you were dead.”

So what did the father do? The scripture says that the father divided his wealth between BOTH sons. It doesn’t say whether the father tried to talk sense into his son, but he did it nevertheless. I take this to say that the father divided his entire estate between both sons, which left him with nothing.

The younger son left home a few days after and lived a very loose lifestyle and spent all his money until the famine hit. When famine comes, we see what we don’t have. Famine is a poverty, pauper and orphan spirit. You will always see what everyone else has and what you don’t have. When all of his money ran out, the son ended up working in the pigpen feeding the pigs everyday and the scripture says, ‘when he came to his senses’ he saw his lack, his poverty, his selfishness and greed; he saw his sin. He became aware of how good and blessed he was while living with his father. So the son decided to make his journey back home, repent and come back into the graces of his father and his father’s house.

THE FATHER: Now let’s look at the Father. The father ungrudgingly gave all his wealth to both sons. As far as we can see, he gave them what they desired without trying to talk them out of it. I believe that once the father gave what he had and the younger son left, this father knew in his heart that his son would be back. After time had passed, it seems that his father was always on the lookout for his son’s return. It says in the bible that the father saw his son at a distance and ran out to meet him. What did he do when he met him? He didn’t get in his face and say, ‘see, I told you so. I knew you would come back broke etc.’ No, the father ran and embraced him, kissed him and said ‘welcome home son’. He covered his filth in a clean robe, gave his son the family ring, representing authority and had a huge party for the returned son. The killing of the fatted calf was reserved for very special occasions in their custom, but his son’s return was special enough to the father. He also did not exclude the brother from being part of the celebration, just like he didn’t exclude him from the inheritance.

THE BROTHER: It is my personal opinion that the older brother who stayed on the homestead and continued to serve his father was dealing with what we call the “Martha Syndrome”. He worked hard in the fields, probably doing double duty due to the absence of his younger brother. Now we can only assume what was building in the heart of the older brother the whole time his younger brother was gone. I’m sure every time he did his younger brother’s chores, thoughts of jealousy, anger, rage etc. would set in and take root in his heart. When the day came that his younger brother returned and the father gave him the best of everything and threw a big party for his return, the older brother was raging inside. He proceeded to reject the invitation to be part of the party, and told his father that for many years he served him and had never neglected a command of his. His father told him, ‘son, you have always had everything that is mine’, but we have to celebrate that your brother who was lost has been found and who was dead is alive’.

To Sum It All Up: I believe the younger son had a spirit of poverty, or an orphan spirit on him. It was so deceptive that he believed he didn’t have anything or any freedom. He was given what he asked for, he wasted it, and even returned to probably more than he left. An orphan spirit will strip you of authenticity and identity!

The older brother had a spirit of entitlement; the difference between the servant, and friend, as Jesus alluded to. He was feeling sorry for himself and having a pity party saying he had served and served faithfully for years, but never got what the other son got. Did he forget that he got half the inheritance? Did he forget that he could have made the same choice his brother did? Did he forget that he was his own person? I don’t believe the father would have forced him to stay. I believe that he felt obligated to stay with his father. I also believe that his identity as a son was attacked when his brother left. He had all kinds of time to dwell on the immaturity of his brother leaving and him having to double up on the work-load. Did he complain? I don’t know, but if he did it was most likely under is breathe and never to his father. What he forgot is that he was a son! No matter what his brother did, he was still a son. He still had a roof over his head, he still had food on the table, he still had opportunity. Entitlement will always say, ‘it’s never enough’. Entitlement causes us to have no value for anything we may have. Entitlement will always see the lack and not the abundance. Entitlement will always see the work and not the blessing. The replacement strategy for a spirit of entitlement is an attitude of gratitude.

The father was the ultimate example of our Heavenly Father. The greatest sin would never give him the opportunity to reject his flesh and blood. His love was overflowing for both of his sons. He said, you are worth the greatest party ever, and you are worth celebrating. There is always an open-arm return policy! When we return to our identity, family, values etc. we begin to live again. When the son returned his father declared that his son had been lost, but now found and was dead but has begun to live again. Being outside of what God has called us to be will strip us of our authenticity, identity and values and we will find ourselves wandering around looking for the fulfillment from other things, people, work etc.

So which one are you? The younger son, the older brother or the father?