Day 35

“And he would not come in…”

“I will not join you in a celebration… that’s not for me!”

Is it just me or is this what’s going on in the older brother’s head. He stands outside and pouts in anger. He just hates the thought of his low-life brother getting a big cake. That is so petty, so prideful and unfortunately, soooo me.

You see, few of us want to miss a party and this one was a big deal. The Father had gone all out. A feast that included meat in those days would have been an affair for the whole village to enjoy. Everyone would have come to celebrate the return of the master’s lost son. Which means everyone would have been watching as the host and Lord of the party had to go outside. And why? His eldest son, the one who was presumed to become the new master one day was pulling a power-play: “You can’t make me dance. I won’t do it!”

Haven’t you seen someone who doesn’t want to dance at a wedding reception get drug onto the floor by the bride or groom. Maybe its Grandpa or Uncle Bob whose embarrassed because they can’t dance. But soon everyone is clapping and chanting their name as they are pulled into the party. And if they even wiggle their hips an inch everybody goes nuts and applauds. Because, somehow, they just took the party up a notch. It just got more fun.

But if they refuse, if they throw down and cross their arms and get stinky in front of the whole crowd… everyone gets tense. We all start to look away and we all feel sorry for the bride or groom because this is not what you want at your party: A stick in the mud who can’t enjoy the celebration.

Now you see what the crowd saw as the older brother refused to come in and dance.

And why? It wasn’t that he didn’t like parties. He was juts ticked that this party wasn’t for him! He wasn’t the one getting celebrated. He even says so: “You never gave me a young goat to party with my friends!” His message seems to be “If it isn’t my party, I’m not dancing!”

Sound familiar? How do you handle it when the party, the reward or the accolades are for someone else? How do you respond when its someone else’s idea or success or return is being trumpeted? I know what I hear in my head:
Pride quietly assures me that I deserve it more than them.
Greed says that I never get that big a cake at my party.
Contempt whispers that they don’t even appreciate what’s being done and never earned it.
And… my Father says, “Come on and celebrate – You need it!”

So what party do you need to dance at this week? Go celebrate someone else: Its good medicine for older-brother-itis.


Jeff Walling