Prodigal sons: Part of the evangelical problem is knowing which brother we are

Townhall.com ^ | February 17, 2009 | Marvin Olasky

[fkabuckeyesrule]

As Tim Keller points out in The Prodigal God (Dutton, 2008), the parable of the prodigal son should have a plural in its name: sons. We all know of the younger brother's libertine living, but the elder brother has a more subtle problem: He is self-righteous and lacks joy.

Part of the evangelical political problem in contemporary America is that much of the press and public sees us as elder brothers. Sometimes we are that way in reaction to younger brothers. Sometimes younger brothers go their way in reaction to us.

In higher education, younger brother colleges are party schools that proffer sex and stimulants. Some Christian colleges try to avoid that by imposing tight rules in elder brother fashion. Those rules may lead to external conformity rather than deep belief. Both younger brother and elder brother colleges divert students from learning more about God.

In journalism, younger brother magazines ranging from Rolling Stone to People sell a continuation of younger brother college life. Elder brother reporters tend to be self-righteous fault-finders—and it's always someone else's fault. Elder brother journalism lacks love, charity, compassion, and a sense that all of us are in this mess together. Christian publications that look only at sin among secularists can also be elder brothers.

In the realm of "social justice," younger brothers want governmental redistribution so that everyone, regardless of conduct, gets part of the national inheritance. Some recipients of Washington's largesse are widows and orphans, but others are younger brothers or sisters who should go home but do not because government checks allow them to keep destroying themselves. Elder brothers, though, wax sarcastic about wastrels while they overlook the needy. "Social justice" turns into either social universalism or Social Darwinism.

The gay rights debate is another younger vs. elder brother combat zone. While covering Manhattan's annual humongous Gay Pride parade I didn't see any lip-locks except when the marchers observed a dozen souls from a church waving Bibles and screaming at them, "You're going to hell, sodomite" or "You're an abomination in the sight of God." The presence of elder brothers allowed younger brothers to feel self-righteous: ironically, ranting reminders about sin provided the opportunity to forget about sin.

Younger brothers who perceive self-righteousness or joylessness in their elders head toward mockery. On the Comedy Network, Jon Stewart is a snarky younger brother and Stephen Colbert pretends to be an elder as he parodies FOX's tut-tutting Bill O'Reilly. Elder brothers tend to forget that truth without love is like sodium without chloride: Poison, not salt.

What's rare on television and in life are third brothers who, because they know deeply that the Father loves them, have love for and patience with both elder and younger brothers. Third brothers, knowing they have been forgiven, are not prideful.

A third brother Christian college helps students to see that all people are made in the image of God and all people are sinners. Because of that, beauty shows up where we expect banality, and evil emerges where we anticipate excellence. At a third brother college students become bilingual and bicultural, able to move in both Christian and secular circles without ignoring the problems of the former or the knowledge generated in the latter, through common grace.

Third brother journalism rises out of the history lecture in chapter seven of the book of Acts: Stephen, with neither an elder brother's pridefulness nor a younger brother's sarcasm, realistically emphasizes the fallenness of his people and the holiness of God. He does not seek life's meaning in the formation of or adherence to a man-made religion that sets up a code of morality.

Third brother politics is also different. The Founders fought for both liberty and virtue: Elder brothers tend to forget the former, younger brothers the latter. Third brothers know that we can never have enough laws to banish sin. They tell the truth but do not rant at abortionists and gay rights activists. They control their tongues and lungs not because killing babies and killing marriage is right, but because their goal is to change hearts.

Third brothers ask pointed questions, and here are ones for each of us to answer: Am I a younger, elder, or third brother? Can we, through God's grace, leave behind elder- and younger-brotherism?

[fkabuckeyesrule]

I’ve never really cared for this guy that much but I thought this was an interesting article.

[vimto]

MMMmmm....this seems to ignore the cut and thrust of the parable for the writers own modern psychobabble.

Sounds like id, ego and superego in a Christian setting.

[whipitgood]

“...the elder brother is self righteous and lacks joy....”
What a crock. This is a man made interpretation of scripture. Perhaps the elder brother is better described as a steady worker, loyal to his father, reliable, and not given to excesses. The younger brother may be described as frivolous, wasteful, impatient, lacking in good judgement, and disloyal. In other words, one is conservative and the other is liberal. Which one is your favorite?

[fkabuckeyesrule]

I disagree with your appraisal of the elder brother. If I may I would recommend a boo I just read on the Prodical Son story. Its a book written by John MacArthur called A Tale Of Two Sons.

[Arthur McGowan]

I HATE townhall.com’s pop-ups. I won’t go there.

[Arthur McGowan]

You are full of it—what the “crock” is full of. The elder brother exaggerates his brother’s sins, for one thing. And he refuses to be joyful at his brother’s return. There’s nothing “man-made” about the interpretation.

[Rippin]

Bingo. This parable is given as part of a trilogy where the other two parables are stories about how screwed up the pharisees are. This one too is aimed at the evils of the older brother. The woman searches for the lost coin and holds a party when it is found but the pharisees don’t rejoice when Jesus saves sinners. The good shepherd goes out and finds the lost sheep but the shepherds of Israel not only don’t go find them but object when Jesus does! And similarly, when the prodigal returns that faithful older brother (pharisees) throws a hissee fit.

[rdb3]

He is self-righteous and lacks joy.

Now that description is right on target for so many.

Amazing << Hear this. Feel this, and tell me that this isn't music.

Hey Barack HUSSEIN Obama, I went to Harvard too! That was the worst fieldtrip of my life, but I went there...

[happygrl]

Much to consider here.

Thanks for posting.

[Underground Resistance]

I'm a member of the same denomination as Tim Keller. He is a pastor of a church in New York, NY. From what I have read of his writings and heard of his sermons, I believe he is peering off the edge of a theological cliff. I feel he's trying to navigate the middle road and wants to relabel it as a “third way” (third brother), to avoid being called narrow minded in this modern age.

Notice the younger brother in the parable has left his former ways, returned home and repented to his father for his sin. The examples Tim Keller lists are very different from a young man who has humbled himself and recognized his sin. The older brother, whatever you might say about his self righteous attitude, is still with his father and has never left his side.

I have heard this wayward theological argument made to justify everything under the sun.

God forgives all who come to repentance through Christ! God not only provides the means for repentance, but also leads the way to repentance. Two men kissing in the street have not repented and they're under the judgment of God.

[Arthur McGowan]

The elder brother DID leave his father’s side—when he refused to go in to the banquet. His father had to come outside to talk to him.

The parable clearly does NOT hold the elder brother up as a paragon, even though he has been faithful and reliable. As the father says, “You are my son, and everything I have is yours. But...” The elder brother has been faithful, but he has not been loving. The father is calling him to be more loving and merciful, in addition to being faithful and reliable. Only the father is perfect—since he obviously represents God.

[ValerieTexas]

The older brother, whatever you might say about his self righteous attitude, is still with his father and has never left his side.

Parents want their children to leave their side and grow up. The elder brother is afraid and hiding himself from the world, all the while telling himself he is the good son as his resentment builds. It's his decision and he wants credit for that, but he also wants to blame his father and brother for holding him back from living his own life.

He didn't risk anything, he never reached full potential. Yet, he still needed forgiveness. Did he ever realize that?

[Arthur McGowan]

An awful lot of Christian preaching misses how combative Jesus’ preaching is. Even the story of the woman taken in adultery is more about Jesus outsmarting his enemies, and their viciousness, than about the woman.