Dr. Jon Burnham preached this sermon from Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
on March 18, 2007 at Batesville Presbyterian Church
on March 18, 2007 at Batesville Presbyterian Church
This superb parable is actually three parables: the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the parable of The Elder Brother and the parable of The Forgiving Father. We'll concentrate on the Elder Brother, which is far less popular and less widely known that the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
The elder brother could not stand the reception his brother received. After all, his younger had blown it. He had wasted his inheritance chasing prostitutes, embarrassed the family name, and hurt the family business. When his younger brother returned home, the elder brother resented the way his younger brother was received. Why did the elder brother take offense? It was the party that was so offensive. The older brother has a point, of course. Let the penitent come home. Both Judaism and Christianity provide for the return of sinners, but to bread and water, not to the fatted calf; to sackcloth, not a new robe; to ashes, not jewelry; to kneeling, not dancing; to tears, not merriment. The elder brother resented that party.
The history of resentment, says Leo Madow, professor at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, is the history of Humankind. If we really feel steamed about something (as we rightly express it), we can go from zero pressure to over 500 lbs. per square inch within a short time. The target can be a friend, a spouse, a child, a neighbor, a co-worker—even the person who promised to fix the vacuum cleaner. It can be a woman with two children, whose husband left her for another woman, and now she faces the full financial support of the family. She's resentful. Or a woman who resents her husband's boss and company so much it is destroying what could be one of the better homes around. Or a person with a chronic illness, now facing the prospect their condition will never get better. Or a person nearing retirement, watching their retirement go up in smoke because of bad investments by the fund trustees. Or a high school student who didn't make the team ... or cheerleader ... or first chair band ... or the leading role in the school play. Resentment. You can't keep a lid on it.
Resentment pops up early in the Bible—with the two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain and Abel are a prototype of the two brothers in today's parable. Cain resented Abel because Abel received more favorable treatment. His offering was acceptable to the Lord and Cain's wasn't. Resentment was kindled (as the Bible puts it) in Cain, until it exploded and he summoned his brother out into a field and killed him. Murder is the ultimate destructive manifestation of resentment. This story is speculative, but some time probably passed between the start of resentment to the eruption, what we call today "repression." But repression doesn't solve; it only postpones. Resentment—you can't keep a lid on it.
How does one rid oneself of resentment? It is difficult, extremely difficult, but the answer is very much in this Parable of the Elder Brother. The meaning of the parable lesson is simply that God loves the world—the common, mixed-up, moral-immoral, world. Jesus' mission expresses that love. His joy is that sinners respond to his message and are brought back into fellowship with God.
Like the Elder Brother, proper, religious folk have a rightful claim to legitimacy. However, like him, they sometimes show an incapacity to forgive on the basis of mere repentance. Resentment arises when those who "follow the rules" perceive it as unfair that those who do not "follow the rules" suddenly are welcomed into the mainstream of "good" society without, seemingly, "paying their dues." This perceived unfairness fosters resentment.
God's saving love goes out to sinner and self-righteous alike. If only the "elder brothers" of the world would forget themselves! If only they were not so resentful, so selfish, so petty, and uncharitable, so lacking in humility, in compassion, and the desire to serve, they could rid themselves of resentment—and get a party like the prodigals get.
What about us—are we like the Elder Brother—are we resentful? Let's open our hands and our hearts—let go of our resentment and enjoy the celebration today. We have so much to be thankful for—two weeks ago we had a wonderful Kirkin' o' the Tartans service; our church is growing; the Session has started a new Helping Hand fund for those who come to our church seeking emergency assistance. We celebrate together what God is doing in our midst and we support one another in the midst of grief. The Holy Spirit is at work in our church. When our hearts are full of gratitude to God there is no room in our hearts for resentment. Let's let go of our resentment and join in God's great celebration.
