LORD Jesus was a master story teller not only that He knew exactly who His audience was.

Luke 15:1-2

1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

They were very critical of Him as a result of that He told 3 stories; The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin and then The Parable of the Lost Son.

There is another side to the story of the prodigal son. Everybody can find their life, themselves in this parable. For example, there is the prodigal son who went away to a far country, then the father who waited for him and forgiven him, then the other son who stayed at home. This is the story of the son who stayed at home;

Luke 15:25-32

25“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31“ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

What was going on in his heart when he came and see the party?

*He was angry because nobody told him about the party – verse 28

*He was jealous – verse 29

*He was very bitter – verse 30

*He resented – verse 29

*He felt rejected – verse 29

*He was unforgiving – verse 30

*He was disrespectful – verse 30

*He was accusative – verse 29

*He was self-righteous – verse 29

*Caustic, biting and piercing words – verse 30

Sometime we critical of other people when they sin against GOD, however often times they don’t stop to think about themselves.

What LORD Jesus is saying to Pharisees here, you keep the law but what about your attitude?

There are two ‘pigs pens’ in this parable; one is in a far country and the other one is a sinful attitude at home. This son’s one was at home yet he had all angry, jealousy, bitter, resented, unforgiving, disrespectful, self-righteous, accusative, caustic, biting and piercing feelings and attitude.

We should ask LORD ‘do I have any of these feelings and attitude in my life?’

We can be in a far country and not even be aware of it. None of these fits to a follower of LORD Jesus, none of these fits to a person whose been born again.

While his brother was physically separated from his family in a far country, this son although he was at home, was emotionally separated from the family. While his brother was feeding on pig pots, this son was feeding on the poison of unforgiveness because his heart is full of unforgiveness and jealousy.

LORD Jesus knows how to get straight to the heart for us to examine ourselves and understand what’s going on.

The path of freedom starts with repentance and surrender to the will of GOD, admit it, acknowledge it, confess it and come home to the father.

What LORD Jesus is saying; you may be at synagogue every week, you may be able to quote the law but what about your attitude to other people, to GOD.

LORD Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28.

None of us perfect and this passage of scripture is so distinctive; those who stand outside and criticise us for our mistakes and failures, those who try out life and mess it up badly had to come home and those who are full of jealousy, anger, criticism and prejudice. Which one do you think is worst condition? I think it is the boy who stayed at home because the other boy came to his senses and sought forgiveness, repented of his sins.

It is at the end of it condition of our heart, who we are, what we are in the presence of GOD; speaking and feeling what we are feeling in our heart.

Love everyone because they are people GOD created. All of us sin at some point in our lives. LORD Jesus never turned away, a sincere, repented sinner.

We can all find ourselves in this story, we are talking about prodigal son coming home, and here is a prodigal son who stayed at home.

John 3:16

16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

He did not say ‘except, if but’ He says come home and I will forgive you.

I will invite you to ask LORD Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins. You are never hopeless as long as GOD is and He will always be, you are not hopeless. You ask Him to forgive you, He will forgive you. Not only that He sends His Holy Spirit in your life to enable you, to encourage you, to shadow you, to energise you, to provide everything you need to live a clean godly life.