The Surprising Challenge Most Overlook in The Parable of The Prodigal Son

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we are given two examples of people who need grace. The younger son sought freedom and abundance through wild living, only to come back to his father penniless and dejected. He had the right reasons, but did the wrong things. On the other hand, the older son stayed by his father's side, but he did so with bitterness and self-righteousness; this led him to reject his own brother upon his return. He did the right things, but for the wrong reasons. The truth is, in the church, we need both the dynamism of the younger child and the obedience of the older. Our challenge, then, is to do the right things for the right reasons, becoming the father who welcomes both sons, and displaying grace so profound that all people from all walks of life can experience God's love and come home.