I have been pondering these verse for a couple of days now. These verses are the story of the Prodigal Son. Please keep in mind, as you read this entry, that these thoughts are mine and mine alone. They may be entirely wrong and inaccurate but until someone helps me gain a better knowledge, these are my thoughts.
A short version of the prodigal son. There is a father, older brother and younger brother. The younger brother asks his father for his inheritance early and leaves and squanders it. Upon losing his inheritance he gets a job. Realizing that his job is horrific he decides to return home even if it is to work for his father. Upon his arrival home the father rejoices and throws a large feast to celebrate the return of the lost son. The older brother returns from the field and realizes what is going on and questions his father. After all the hard work the older brother has consistantly put into the family and the farm, why has he never received a feast. The father responds by saying something like you have always been faithful and you have experienced everything with me by my side. Through the years, I have understood it, that the older brother was a jealous angry person for not having received the same love and appreciation that this wayward son had received. I now think that I was wrong.
The last six months have been hard on me both emotionally and mentally (I can imagine in other ways but these two are the most prominent). I have cried and ached for my "younger sister." Did she take her inheritance and run? No. But she did decide that my family and my parents would be better off not to be in her life. I still am confused because I don't understand why, what brought this on, or why she cut off all ties with me in the way that she did. I have had six months of hard speculation constantly on my mind and I have only recently been able to decide that I can' t let her decisions effect me this way. Was it horrible? Yes. But should I continually have sleepless nights because I ache for her? After six months I can't do it anymore.
My thoughts have brought me to the prodigal son, over and over again. I think the older brothers reaction to the return of his younger brother is misunderstood. What about his feelings? He faithfully stayed with his father all those years. He experienced heart ache and pain and confusion about the younger brothers decision to leave. He probably felt the pain and sadness experienced by his father. No parent should have to endure the unknown, especially about a child. No parent should have to experience the heartache of a child rejecting them in such a harsh fashion.
I believe the older brothers reaction was not jealousy or bitterness. It was aprehension, confusion and protectiveness. After the duration of time that the "younger sister" decides to be gone is over. The older sister will rejoice, because she is around again. But that older sister will be forever changed by the years of hurt and sadness over the missing sister.
What are your thoughts? Am I wrong?
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