Today Gospel, once again, presents to us the parable of the Prodigal Son. We have heard this parable many times. We are familiar with the storyline and the characters. Much has been spoken about the leaving and returning of the younger son. Much has been spoken about the love and the mercy of the father. Much has also been spoken about the anger and the unforgiving attitude of the elder son.
Indeed, the elder son has always been pretty harshly criticized as critical and mean. Let us try a different approach. Let us try to look into his character with a more sympathetic heart. We then will see he wasn’t so bad after all.
No, the elder brother was actually a very good guy. He was very faithful to his duty at home. He took care of his father’s property. He kept the house in order. He was hard-working. He was obedient and dependable. He was a very decent fellow, and a son every parent would dream of having.
As decent as he was, the poor fellow couldn’t help but feel a little resentful. Everyone seemed to have taken him for granted. His works seemed under-appreciated. No one ever seemed to celebrate his achievements. No one ever seemed to notice how hard he had been trying to keep everything together and be good.
Worst of all, he felt that his own “father,” whom he had done well to serve, had also taken him for granted. Yet, when that obnoxious little brother of his, after having wasted everything that he and his father had worked hard to obtain, now returned tattered and desperate. And his father threw a big party for him. The poor fellow, of course, could not help but feel angry and resentful.
We should not judge him so harshly. In fact, we should have more sympathy for him. Because, guess what? Each of us has, at least for once, experienced the feelings of the elder brother. Guess what? The elder brother is in every one of us.
He is in a faithful wife and loving mother who works so hard to keep the family together, to please her husband, to take care of the kids, to clean the house and to cook the family meal. Yet, no one ever notices how hard she works. She feels that she is taken for granted.
He is in a responsible husband who works day and night trying to provide for his family, to make sure that his wife can get to go shopping every once in a while, to make sure the kids get to go to decent schools, to make sure the roof is fixed and the toilet doesn’t explode. Yet, no one ever notices how much he sacrifices. He feels that he is taken for granted.
He is in a hard-working employee who works at the company for years, knowing everything inside out, working around the clock with not a word of complain. Yet, his boss never seems to notice. He doesn’t get a raise. He doesn’t get a single praise. And if there is some other guy who is younger and smarter come along, his job might even be taken away to give to him.
He is in those who work 2 or 3 different jobs trying to meet the needs of life, and yet often unable to do so; while some others who never have to raise their fingers to work for a day in their lives, yet are filled with riches.
He is in all of us who strive hard, and yet feel like we have been taken for granted. He is in all of us who have done good deeds, yet our works seemed to be quickly forgotten, our dedications were disregarded. What the elder brother felt is nothing but that which every one of us feels once in a while: resentful, sad, angry, and even hurt.
Please don’t tell me that you have never felt such a feeling. It isn’t pleasant, is it?
My mind is recalled to the story of Mozart and Salieri in the movie Amadeus.
Antonio Salieri was a decent guy, a devout catholic, a gifted musician. His world, however, was turned upside down when Mozart came around – a musical prodigy, but also an obnoxious prideful brat. Despite his flaws Mozart’s talents way surpassed Salieri’s.
Anotonio Salieri became more and more resentful towards God who had blessed such a brat like Mozart with incredible gifts while he, Salieri himself, was cast aside as secondary. He felt underappreciated. He felt his dedication was taken for granted. This feeling lead to the point where whenever he heard Mozart’s heavenly music, all he could hear was God laughing at him. His jealousy and resentment drove him insane. He was lost forever in that insanity.
A sad story!
Could you see the face of the elder brother there? Yes, the elder brother was also lost. He was lost in his resentment and anger. Should we be lost in the same way? I sincerely pray not.
What we need to learn is that it is natural to feel what the elder brother felt. What we need to realize and be convinced is that God does not take us for granted. He knows all that we do. He knows of our hardships and our efforts. He knows it all and he is grateful for that.
What we also need to realize, and this is important, is the invitation of God to strive to imitate his divine generosity. He is inviting us to love like he does – unconditionally and freely. He, who sends rain on both the just and the unjust, is inviting us to be perfect as he is perfect.
The parable has an open-ending. That means Jesus did not offer a resolution. Did the elder son come into the house and join the party? Did he rejoice over the return of his younger brother?
Ah, those questions are for you and me to answer.
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