We have been looking at the story traditionally called “The Parable of the Prodigal
Son.” We’ve said that you will miss the radical message of the story if you don’t see that it is about two sons — one immoral and “bad”, one very moral and “good” — who are both alienated from the father and therefore spiritually lost. That is a remarkable message. But there is much more — though it too is easy to miss. We must remember that this is the third of three parables, told to the same audience, meant to be pondered all together. What do we learn if we do that? In this message we learn: 1) the cost of reconciliation, 2) that there is a missing elder brother, and 3) that we have a true elder brother.