Read Luke 15:25-32
I Don’t Care
This is part 3 of The Prodigal Son. The son who rebelled against his father, got his inheritance in advance and squandered his inheritance with prostitutes and such. But when he lost everything, he came to his senses and returned to his father in newness. The father was so happy that he killed the fattened calf and had a celebration for his lost son being found again.
Meanwhile, the older son was in the field working and when he was close to returning home he could hear music and dancing. So he called one of his servants and asked what was going on. The servant said, “Your brother has come home and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.”
The older brother was angry and refused to go in and celebrate. His father pleaded with him to come in but he refused. He was bitter and envious of his brother. He complained how he was faithful to his father and obeyed him always, yet his dad never had a party for him. His Dad tried to explain how important and wonderful it was to have a lost son return in newness; and how it was worthy of having a celebration.
So why was the older son unable to celebrate his younger brother’s changed life? Or should I say, why is it that we can’t celebrate and be excited when certain people, who lived in corruption, end up finding Christ for a changed life?
Perhaps, we have been Christians for so long that:
1. We lose the passion to see people come to know the Lord.
2. We are only concerned with our own spiritual well-being.
3. We see sinners as unworthy of God’s salvation, but deserving death and hell. We have forgotten how God forgave us and so we should be excited when others also come to know the Lord.
PRAYER: God, give me a renewed and refreshed heart for lost souls so that I become more intentional in sharing Jesus with others. Change my heart from, “I Don’t Care,” to “I Do Care!”
