27 “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’
28 “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.
29 “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;
30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.
32 ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'” Luke 15:25-32.
It is interesting to compare these three parables: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son. We see an increasing value to the lost object from 1 out of 100 sheep to 1 out of 10 silver coins to 1 out of 2 sons. We also see a change of focus from the persistent “finder” of the Shepherd and the Woman in the first two parables to the lost brother who “came to his senses” and returned on his own in the last parable.
Accordingly, although there are so many lessons that can be learned from this parable, I want to focus on the compassion that we should have as mature Christians, even Reformed Christians, for our lost brothers. As Reformed Christians, we tend to be like the older son. We are faithful. We don’t stray from home. We do our duty.
We may also be like the “frozen chosen”. We may not deserve credit for the returning of the lost brother.
But, the least we can do is “celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.”
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 