Rebellious or Rule Follower?

             The Story of the Prodigal Son is probably the most famous of all the stories Jesus told.  Whenever we hear it, the emphasis is almost always on the Prodigal Son.  So much so that we almost forget there was another son.  When you consider both sons in the story, the question becomes:  Which son are you most alike?

            Before I answer that question, let me tell you a little about myself.   I’m a type A personality, who likes everything planned out and organized.  I doubt that I have a spontaneous bone in my body. 

            I’m also a rule follower.  Recently, at one of my great-nephew’s ballgames, I walked in carrying my chair as usual only to find a sign saying, “No Chairs Allowed”.  I immediately turned around and headed to the car with the chair.  My nephew saw me and yelled “Where are you going?”  I pointed to the sign and said I was taking the chair back to the car.  He said, “There are several people with chairs, so it’s okay.”  My response was, “You know I’m a rule follower.”  He laughed because he knew it was true.

            With that bit of insight into my personality, you’ve probably already guessed that I’m most like the son who stayed home.  Although there’s nothing wrong with wanting things to be organized and following rules, like any other personality trait, when taken to the extreme, there will be negative aspects.

            If your personality is like mine, you’ve probably had those moments when you are so tired of being the “responsible one”.  Those are the times when you resent following all the rules, knowing that someone else is only doing the job halfway but will still get the same reward or pay as you.  That’s when my pride takes over, and I see myself so much better than that slacker.

            However, when it gets right down to it, we are just like the first group of workers in Jesus’ vineyard story.  We agree to do a job, follow all the rules, and then get mad when the guy who came in eight hours later gets paid the same amount.  In truth, we received exactly what we bargained for, so why do we think we are entitled to more?

            Neither one of the sons was “entitled” to anything from the father while he lived.  Anything he chose to give either of them was out of love, not obligation.  Yes, one was responsible and the other was not, but neither was entitled.

            That’s one of the problems with the world today.  We all think we are entitled to more and more and more.  When it comes to our relationship with Christ, we are just like both sons.  None of us are entitled to anything.  It is only by God’s gift of grace that we have a new life in Christ.  We can’t earn it by following the rules.  We only receive it by accepting His precious gift.  Once we accept it, hopefully, we will be more apt to obey His rules – not out of obligation but out of love and gratitude.

            The bottom line is that we shouldn’t want to be like either of the sons.  It’s the Father’s love and grace that we need to emulate.

Luke 15: 11 - 32