In the ancient Middle East, older men never ran — it was considered undignified. So when the wayward son finally trudges home, broke and rehearsing an apology, his father's sprint down the road is itself the shock of the story. Stephen Davey points out that this is really a parable about two lost sons, not one: the younger one who fled and squandered everything, and the older one who never left but never really belonged either. As the father throws a robe, a ring, and sandals on his returning son and orders a feast, the older brother stands outside fuming that his own years of obedience never earned him so much as a goat. Davey names the trap plainly — the older son has the heart of a Pharisee, mistaking grace for a reward he's owed rather than a gift he doesn't deserve. Which brother are you?
Two Prodigal Sons
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