What Causes More Damage: Lust or Resentment?
Thinking in Ohio has a moving post on the bitterness of the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son. Here's an excerpt:
"Often we think about lostness in terms of actions that are quite visible, even spectacular. The younger son sinned in a way we can easily identify… (but) the lostness of the elder son, is much harder to identify. After all, he did all the right things. He was obedient, dutiful, law-abiding, and hardworking. People respected him, admired him, praised him, and likely considered him a model son. Outwardly, the elder son was faultless. But when confronted by his father's joy at the return of his younger brother, a dark power erupts in him and boils to the surface. Suddenly there becomes glaringly visible a resentful, proud, unkind, selfish person, one that had remained deeply hidden, even though it had been growing stronger and more powerful over the years.”
Looking deeply into myself and then around me at the lives of other people, I wonder which does more damage, lust or resentment? There is so much judgment, condemnation, and prejudice among the “saints.” There is so much frozen anger among the people who are so concerned about avoiding “sin."
When I listen carefully to the word with which the elder son attacks his father—self-righteous, self-pitying, jealous words—I hear a deeper complaint. It is the complaint that comes from a heart feels it never received what it was due. It is the complaint expressed in countless subtle and not-so-subtle ways, forming a bedrock of human resentment. It is the complaint that cries out: “I tried so hard, worked so long, did so much, and still I have not received what others get so easily. Why do people not thank me, not invite me, not play with me, not honor me, while they pay so much attention to those who take life so easily and so casually?”
There is an enormous, dark drawing power to this inner complaint. Condemnation of others and self-condemnation, self-righteousness and self-rejection keep reinforcing each other in an ever more vicious way."
Strike a cord? It does with me - who have played both parts: prodigal and elder daughter. Comments?
posted by Sherry W @ 8:38 AM
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4 Comments:
This is my take on the same parable titled "The Prodigal's Sib" http://upcreeknopaddle.blogspot.com/2007/03/prodigals-sib.html
I was talking to a monk friend of mine recently and the subject of Las Vegas came up. He mentioned that it was a city of little boy sins. If you want to experience REAL sins (resentment, pride, wrath, etc), you must go to a church or monastery.
I'd argue that the older son reacts so because he values his father's treasures and not his father. His true treasure his father.
Even though the younger son left, he was not attached to his father's treasures, having reckless spent them, but nevertheless knew the value of his father and his father's goodness.
And indeed his father's goodness was deeper than he had imagined.
I kind of think that we do the same with God, we only want to be involved to the point of following the rules of the house, waiting for the day that our inheritance will be ours. We miss that that real inheritance is to have such a great father and the real tragedy is not to get to get to know him so as to know wherein lies our truest treasures. It's only by knowing him, that we will not worry about the lesser goods and that our hearts will also rejoice with Him when a lost brother or sister has returned or is returning.
PS Sherry good post but your are disturbing the carefully constructed peace of my conscience this Lent ;-)
Sherry,
It's funny, but I've always found both brothers failing to recognize the nature of their father's love. So looking at the elder son's failings isn't new to me.
I think it can be summed up as moralism. He has obeyed, has done good, but he hasn't received a fattened calf to share with his friends.
JACK (from an unplanned layover in Paris)
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