The story of the prodigal son is familiar to most of us. We use it to illustrate the lost son who is saved and restored. We use it to show God's love for the lost. We even use it to highlight the elder brother's bad attitude. I saw something today that I do not believe I have ever heard preached on.
I want to use the father as the local church pastor and I want the elder brother to be the local church members. I want to draw you attention to the two different responses. the pastor's joy, and the churches lack of appreciation. Someone gets saved, or more likely, someone who failed is restored. The pastor is full of love and gladness. The church is just annoyed.
My point is not to change the story. My point is simply that there can be a big difference between the pastor and the people and how they see things around them. A wise pastor will win the people over. He will not be surprised by their negative response. He will have grace on those standing by and watching. Pastor will welcome the prodigal, and he will win over the saints.
The prodigal had a change of heart and went back home. The church can have a change of heart to accept back the wayward son. The key to the story is the pastor/father/God.
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