The Older Brother Complex

"Are you envious because I am generous?" - Matthew 20:15

A lot of people have heard me complain about how I think the story of the Prodigal Son is not fair at all. Why does the older son, who spent all of his life being good and responsible, get depicted as the bad, sinful one? The parable of the day laborers makes me feel the same way: workers get hired to work in a field all day for a certain amount of money but then, later on in the day, more workers come and get paid just as much as those who had been there early in the morning! How can God expect us to justify that? Well, God has been making this lesson very clear in my heart the last few days. There is someone in my life who represents the brother who went out and squandered his father's fortune, while I am the older brother in the story. I would get angry and complain when this person got away with murder, but lately, my heart breaks into a billion pieces for them. Nothing has changed between he and I. There has been no confrontation or change in the relationship, it's just that God has moved my heart into seeing this person a little more like He sees him.

"Are you envious because I am so generous," Jesus asks and I think my righteousness prevented me from seeing how much in need this person is. Instead of focusing on myself, why I wasn't treated better, I need to focus on him, and how grateful I should be that God and other people are there to help him when he needs it. I wasn't seeing that in the parables of the prodigal son and the day laborers, those who were always working had everything they needed, why ask for more? Meanwhile, the younger brother and those who went into work later in the day needed another chance because they had no where else to go. How could we turn our back on that because of envy, resentment, or jealousy? We never know how much good we could do a person who needs us if we learn to get over ourselves. We should always ask God to let us see people as He sees them, and one day, He might move someone's heart to help see us in a new way, too.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am so sorry that I have been caught up in myself and what's fair to me, without seeing the need that exists in my neighbor. You have given me so many blessings and that's enough for me to be happy. Take my heart and mold it so that I can show great compassion and love to those who need it most. Don't ever let my jealousy or resentment get in the way of helping someone who needs me.