The Surprising Goodness of God and the Surprising Danger of Religion

The goodness of God and the danger of religion seem to be two separate topics. But in Luke 15, Jesus teaches one parable that makes both of these points. This story is often referred to as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, a well-known teaching of Jesus about two sons and their relationship with their father.

Most of us are familiar with the first part of this story regarding the lostness of the younger son, but oddly enough, very little is taught on the last half of the parable regarding the lostness of the elder brother. Maybe it's because most people don't recognize him as being lost. But he is. Just like the younger brother.

It's important for you to understand and experience the surprising goodness of God, but it's also important to steer clear of the pitfalls of religious activity.

The Unexpected Goodness of the Father

The story, as told by Jesus, begins with a younger son who demands his inheritance early, only to waste it on reckless living. When he returns home, destitute and ashamed, his father welcomes him with open arms, a symbol of God's love and His boundless grace and mercy. 

This act of forgiveness and acceptance is a powerful reminder of how God surprises us with His goodness, even when we least deserve it.

The Hidden Danger of Religion

While the first half of the parable is familiar to many, the latter half often goes unaddressed. It reveals the elder son's anger and resentment towards his father's celebration of the younger son's return. 

Despite his outward obedience and moral life, the elder son is lost because he lacks a genuine connection with his father. This part of the parable serves as a stark warning against the dangers of religious works becoming a substitute for a real relationship with your Heavenly Father.

Religion is dangerous when religious works replace a right relationship with the Father.

Signs of the Elder Brother Mentality

• Seeking Blessing Through Works

  Elder brothers often believe that their good deeds obligate God to bless them, not realizing that true good works are done out of love, not self-interest. 

  When you do good works so that God will have to bless you, you're not doing good works for others, you're doing them for you. When elder brothers feed and clothe the needy, they're really feeding and clothing themselves.

• Religious Moralism

  God desires for us to live a moral life, however, morality as a religious duty can be a crushing burden, often resulting in a judgmental attitude, or even leading to a double life of secret sin and immorality.

• Competitive Comparison

  Elder brothers find their sense of worth by comparing themselves to others, seeking to justify their self-salvation. Yet another reason for their judgmental attitude.

• Joyless Obedience

  Compliance without joy is a hallmark of the elder brother, who follows God's commands out of duty rather than delight.

• Uncertainty of the Father's Love

  Without a secure relationship with God, elder brothers are plagued by doubts about His love for them.

  If you're trying to earn your salvation by being good, you'll always be questioning if you're good enough.

Elder brother lostness is just as wrong and destructive as younger-brother lostness.

A Call to Relationship and Not Religion

Whether you're an elder brother trying to prove your worth through good works, or a younger brother who's left a wake of destruction, it's time to come home to the Father's love and acceptance. 

For those who have strayed like the younger son, God is ready to restore what has been squandered. 

For those trapped in the elder brother mentality, it's time to break free from the chains of religious performance and enter into the joy of the Father's embrace.

Is it time for you to deepen your relationship with the God?  Is it time for you to rest in His love and allow your works to flow from a place of genuine connection with Him? 

Whether you identify with the younger son or the elder brother, your Father's arms are open wide and He's waiting to joyfully welcome you back into relationship with Him. All you have to do is respond.