Wild Family Feud in Reunion Bust-up

James Cathcart October 24, 2025 1 0

Playlists

Add to Favourites

Save for later

Listen to this daily worship

Luke 15: 25-32 (NIV)

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So 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. 29 But 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. 30 But 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. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Let’s tune the dial on the radio as they summarise the morning editions:

EXCLUSIVE — IT’S A NO-GO FOR BIG BRO

“IT’S NOT MY PARTY — AND I’LL CRY IF I WANT TO”

“I DON’T EVEN GET A GOAT, YOU’VE GOT TO BE ‘KID-DING ME!”

All along the younger son in the parable wants to go his own way, but so too does the older brother. He wants to earn his place on his own terms. The younger brother waltzing in undermines everything he’s worked for. For the older brother wants to get ‘what he’s owed' too. He’ll put in the graft, he’ll put in the time, and then the father will have to give him what’s rightfully his.

This is the parable of the man with two sons but the older son has been kept in reserve until now. By the end the younger brother and father are reconciled, at the party, but the older brother remains outside, refusing to go in as all the resentment comes out.

A the start of chapter 15 we hear that there are two groups listening to Jesus tell this series of stories that culminates in this parable. There is the “tax collectors and sinners” and the “Pharisees and the teachers of the law”. The first group is representative of the outsiders on the fringes who have rejected the mainstream or been rejected by the mainstream. The second group is the establishment who feel they have earned their place and are secure in the centre of things.

And in this explosive story Jesus tells the first group: you are closer to God than you think, just turn to him and he’ll run to meet you! And to the second group — who believe themselves to be at the heart of things — he says: Can’t you see you’re standing out in the cold, judging who should and shouldn’t come, and missing the party? You’re the ones who are really at the fringes, trying to earn God and society’s approval.

This story isn’t cosy.

It’s turning the world upside down.

Prayer:

When we think ourselves far from you Lord,

urge us to just turn around and see you.

And when we are arrogant and confident that you’re right at our back

remind us to turn around,

and see the distance we’ve gone from you,

Amen.

If you want to listen to Albert Bogle and I discuss this parable further listen to the first episode of our new podcast series Restless Sanctuary about faith, restlessness and the search for meaning! https://www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk/podcast/restless-sanctuary-1-starting-with-belonging