Most of us have read the story of the Prodigal Son, taught by Christ Jesus in Luke 15. The story is really as much about the father as it is about his two sons.  Many have taught about the younger son who asked his father for his inheritance early, then squandered it.  But what about the older son, and what can we learn about him?
Luk 15:11    And he said, A certain man had two sons:
Luk 15:12  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
Luk 15:13  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
Luk 15:14  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
Luk 15:15  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Luk 15:16  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luk 15:19  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
Luk 15:20  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Luk 15:21  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Luk 15:22  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luk 15:23  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luk 15:24  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Luk 15:25  Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
Luk 15:26  And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
Luk 15:27  And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
Luk 15:28  And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
Luk 15:29  And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
Luk 15:30  But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
Luk 15:31  And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Luk 15:32  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
   The younger son had a most unusual request to make of his father, asking to receive his inheritance immediately, instead of waiting until his father died.  Although he was an irresponsible young man, he knew the loving nature of his father and knew he could ask what he would.  So immediately his father divided up his goods between his two sons. In that culture, the firstborn son would receive a double portion of goods.  Anyway, the younger son gathered his goods and left not many days after into a far country, where he wasted his inheritance on riotous living, partying hard until he was broke.  Don’t you know, while the money and goods lasted, he had plenty of friends (we’ll call them leeches) to help him spend it.  But when the money was gone, so were the “friends”, and he was left all alone. Then when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, there came a famine in the land, and he went from broke to hungry.  He was definitely living in the land of NOT ENOUGH.
   It says he joined himself to a citizen and got a job feeding the pigs.  Pigs are smelly critters, and if you hang out with the pigs, before long you smell like them.  Pretty soon, pig slop looked real appetizing to him, considering nobody would give him anything to eat.  That’s when it says he came to himself, realizing his father’s servants had plenty to eat, while he was starving to death in the land of not enough.  Most of us wouldn’t have too much pity on such a foolish son.  I can imagine him composing the following short note to send home.  “Dear Dad, No mon, no fun. Your Son.”  We would have probably written back, “Dear Son, Too bad, so sad.  Your Dad”.  But this father wasn’t like that.  The broke and hungry and smelly barefoot son headed for home, determined to ask his father’s forgiveness.  It says the father saw his wayward son coming from a long way off.  That means he was looking for his son continually, for he loved him.  Well, we know the story, the son said, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  But the Father wasn’t having any of that.  He called a servant to bring his son the best robe and put it on him.  Not just A robe, but THE BEST robe.  Never mind he hadn’t had a bath, and probably had a pretty strong aroma.  Father called for a ring to be put on his finger, signifying not only love, but recognition of his authority as a member of the family once again.  And shoes!  Yes, shoes!  Here this son had walked barefoot from a far country, so couldn’t he have walked a few yards further barefoot?  I’m sure he could have, but his father wanted his son to be as comfortable as possible for the remainder of his journey home.  His father called for them to bring forth the fatted calf, and cook it, for it’s party time, for his son which was dead, is alive again, was lost, and is now found!
   Here’s where we leave off with the younger son and pick up with the elder son.  He was out in the field working with the servants and heard the commotion at the house and asked what it meant.  A servant told him that his younger brother had come home safe and sound, and his father had called for a celebration of his return.  This news really ticked off older brother, and he wouldn’t as much as come in and say Hi to his younger brother, even though his father came out and asked him to join the festivities.  He replied to his father saying, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
Luk 15:30  But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.  Here all this time the elder son had missed out on having a relationship with his father that the younger one had enjoyed.  He had SERVED his father, forsaking the role of SON.  He even accused his father of being stingy, never even giving him a goat kid (tough, stringy meat) to make merry with his friends.  You can bet this son had never asked his father for anything, else he would never have made such a statement.  Most likely he was too “HUMBLE” to ask for anything, seeing he thought of himself as a servant and not a son.  But let the father bless anyone else, and he was ready to pout.  Hello?  Anyone home? 
   Father said, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.   It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.  All the time the younger son was gone, the father was still increasing in goods.  The younger son had already spent his inheritance and he would get no more,  therefore all the father still owned had already been turned over to the older son.  Yet for all this, the elder son still didn’t get it.  EVERYTHING the father did, was for the good of his son, EVERYTHING! 
   I personally know several such men just like this elder son, who have no joy in their lives.  If you are one of those who has spent your life SERVING the heavenly Father, yet completely missing out on your relationship as a SON, you need to see your heavenly Father today in a new light.  All the heavenly Father does is for YOU.  While you may think God is the beneficiary of your relationship with Him, let me assure you, it is YOU who is the beneficiary.  He wants you to know today, even when you mess up, you are still SON to Him.  Now, you may not always do everything pleasing to God, but when you asked Christ Jesus to forgive your sins and be your Lord and Savior, He became your Father, for better or for worse.
   I remember breaking a window by accident when I was a kid, and I thought I was in for it.  Now, even though Dad didn’t like what I did, he made sure I knew I was still HIS SON!  If there is one thing I have learned about God, it is this:  You cannot leave a Son and come back a Servant.  Once a Son, always a Son.  So get out of your beggar mode, and come home to your Father!  He is waiting for you with open arms!