Reflection of Two Prodigal Sons

In reflection of Jesus' Parable about two 'prodigal' sons and a Father.

* The younger brother has disobeyed his father.
* The elder brother has never disobeyed his father,

What are the odds? Why the younger brother being accepted, and why the end of the story hang on the elder brother? Jesus use this parable with love and compassion so the pharisees and scribes will come into repentance and be saved by His Grace. Did younger brother accepted by his father because he repented? Nope, he repented after being accepted by his father.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

We are saved by grace only, therefore we shouldn't say like the elder brother said: "Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends..." We almost always say to God, Lord, I've done this for You, why do I still suffer?

Do I obey God today just because I want to get what so called 'self-justification' and to get for ourself something 'good' ? Or we obey God because we know we have been accepted by God through the work or Jesus Christ.

As Tim Keller said -
Religion operates on the principle of ‘I obey—therefore I am accepted by God.’
The basic operating principle of the gospel is ‘I am accepted by God through the work of Jesus Christ—therefore I obey’

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