I remember the Jesus Movement in the 70’s. My older brother and some of his friends became really passionate about following Christ and expressing their faith to everyone they came in contact with. My brother, a high school senior, would grab some friends and some hot chocolate from Forest Dairy on Ridge Road and hang out in front of the store talking to people about how their lives had been impacted by Jesus. People responded and eventually they rented out the Upper Room, a fellowship hall in a Presbyterian church, to meet, pray and fellowship. It was a reawakening of the Book of Acts. Watching and later participating with my brother and his friends left a lasting impact on my life.
The Jesus Movement eventually waned but I still longed for a vibrant spiritual connection. I began attending churches and getting involved in ministries but it always fell short of what I experienced during the Jesus Movement. I began to help build other minister’s “kingdoms” and found myself measuring my spiritual worth by how much I accomplished in the building process.
We all know the story of the Prodigal son. God’s love for his returning son is a topic of many sermons. I’m not sure if I’ve heard anyone talk about the older brother, but I do relate more to him than the younger one. The older son drifted so far from his dad, not really understanding the nature of their relationship. He was out in the field working with the servants…why? He was the eldest son not a hired servant. Maybe he thought his Dad would love him more if he was working all the time? In one version of the Bible, the son says, “I was slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders”. Sounds like he never had any fun, never partied with his friends. Bitter and resentful, when his brother came home he was filled with anger. He wouldn’t even go into the house to celebrate…Dad had to come out and beg him to come in.
The Bible never says if the older brother came in and reconciled with his brother or if he really finally began to understand the depth of his Dad’s love. I hope he did. Jesus was telling this story to the Pharisees who also grew so angry at Jesus they decided to plot his death. They never understood Him either. That’s the blinding power of religion. I also wonder about the relationship between the brothers. Perhaps the younger brother looked up to his older brother and saw how his older brother slaved away in the field, complaining about all the hard work, becoming bitter, resentful and hateful over time. Maybe the younger brother didn’t want that kind of life, and maybe he thought the only way out was to take the cash, have some fun and start a new life.
I wonder how many people see our works-based religion and want no part of Christianity. We need to build the Kingdom of Christ, not man’s kingdom. I know, I fell into that trap. What a beautiful statement from our Dad, “My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”
Author: Jonathan Rovetto