The Bible tells in Luke 15:11-32 of two brothers who were very much opposite in personality.  The younger one was restless and wanting to stretch his wings and leave the security and comforts of home, and live the way he wanted to live.  The older brother was more content and satisfied with how things were, or at least it seems that way at first glance. However, when we look closer at the heart of each, we can see that both had a problem.

My thought is that the younger brother probably had a little bit of rebellion in him and was always pushing the envelope to see how much he could get by with; while his older brother was more compliant in his behavior but saw himself more as a servant to his father than a son.

Both brothers needed to learn submission; the younger to the authority of those over him, and the older to the authority that was his.  Can you see this?  Can you see yourself in either one?  My guess is that all of us have had a bit of both of them in our lifetime while growing up, naturally and spiritually.

The time has come for the Church to learn how to submit their heart, words, motives, and behavior to the Word of God.  Time is running out; you don’t want to get caught living wrongly when the Lord returns, and He is returning for His Church.  We’ve been hearing that for years so that means the time of His return is closer now than ever before.  I don’t mean to frighten anyone.  I just want us to learn how to judge ourselves so we can keep our hearts pure before God.

After the younger brother had been having fun living the way of world a while; his money ran out and those who he thought were his friends, left him.  Now he was alone and had no one to help him.  So he gets this job feeding pigs.  Still having to submit to authority even now!  When he realized that he was hungry enough to eat what he was feeding the pigs, he came to his senses about what he had done.  He decided to return home to his father and with a repentant heart asked for forgiveness.  The father had always been looking for him and when he saw the son coming, ran to meet him with love and forgiveness and joy.

The older brother was not so happy about his brother’s return; perhaps he was still wallowing in jealousy that the younger brother had been having fun while he did all the work.  He even complained that his father had never given him anything, especially not a party; but the reality of the fact is that everything was there for him, he just didn’t use his position of sonship to get it.

Many Christians are in this same arena; they have the position of being a child of God but they don’t exercise their faith to attain the promises that are theirs in Christ Jesus.   Acts 10:34 informs us that God is no respecter of persons; meaning that He gives everyone the same authority in the Name of Jesus to reign victoriously with the promises and Word of God.  Hallelujah!

Romans 8:17 tells us that if we are children (of God) then we are heirs of God; and joint heirs with Christ.  We also learn from Galatians 3:29 that if we are Christ’s, then we are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  We are made heirs by the same Grace of God that justifies us.  Hallelujah, again!

Let each of us determine in our heart to not resent the authority of those over us; not to be jealous of the blessings of others, but with a grateful heart seek to keep our heart clean, to learn who we are in Christ, and trust God to perfect and complete the work He has begun in us.  (Psalm 51:10; Philippians 1:6)