THE ELDER BROTHER

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1011, 30 June 1930, Page 14

THE ELDER BROTHER

OTHER SIDE OF PRODIGAL SON PARABLE WORK FOR WORLD'S GOOD The 45tli anniversary of St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Northcote, was held yesterday. At the morning service the circuit minister, the Rev. W. W. Avery, was the preacher. Special anniversary music was sung by the choir, under the leadership of Mr. A. F. Sharpe, the sacred anthem, “Jesus of Nazareth,” being sung. At the evening service the Rev. JDr. C. H. Laws, 8.A., L.D., principal of the Methodist Trinity College, was the preacher. The choir sang the anthem, “Abide With Me,” Miss E. Sharpe singing the solo, “On Angels’ Wings.” At the morning service Mr. Avery took for his text, “Now Elis Elder Son was Out on the Farm.” “We are so accustomed to speaking and thinking of this as the parable of the prodigal son that we often forget the elder brother,” said Mr. Avery. “The parable of the prodigal son is beautiful in its lessons of love and forgiveness. At the same time it does not teacn r the way of sin is the best way to the father’s heart. ‘Let us do evil that good may come’ is not a Christian doctrine. The parable of the elder brother lias its lessons. We judge him too harshly because he was angry and would not go in. It is not fair to condemn him because of one mistake. There is much good in this young man. When lie was on the farm in an agricultural district it neant that he was at the post of duty. “This is worthy of notice. "While his younger brother was wasting his substance he was a producer. Honest toil is to be commended. Every man should be doing something for the general good; work is the world's salvation. Had he no cause to be angry? He had been forgotten while his wastrel brother had been welcomed home, the fatted calf killed and cooked and all were making merry. He had reason to feel slighted. Let us do justice to his elder brother. The elder brother kept the world a-going. If he had been as the prodigal there would have been no home existing, no fatted calf to kill, nothing with which to make merry.

“ln the common round and daily task our testing comes,” Mr. Avery continued. There we prove our worth. Not only on the farm and in the home did he do his part, but also in the community. While the prodigal frittered away life and substance, and character, he had done his bit for the common good. If all men were as the prodigal there would be no civic life, no charitable institutions, no efforts to uplift mankind. In these times of stress and strain there is need for the community spirit. He also had kept the fires of religion burning. He had given his tithes, and worshipped God in the synagogue while his younger brother had sold his birthright.” If all were as the prodigal there would soon be no Sabbath, the Church would soon be closed and God forgotten. It was the elder brother who would win the world for God. Our best of service was due to Him. It was sometimes taught that the prodigal had been the better of the two. We rejoiced in his welcome home and the father’s wondrous and forgiving love. It was well that they should make merry and be glad. But the feast ended, and memory filled his heart

with shame and remorse, as he remembered the life of sin in the far coun-

The elder brother went forth to his farm work with a clear conscience the knowledge of work well done. The great lessons of the parable were that sin was a destroyer of peace and happiness and life, that God was a God of love and would forvige the repentant sinner, that the way of faithful service was the better way, that whether prodigal or elder brother, God was our Father and He loved us.