It covers us all

The Pharisees listening to Jesus were about to learn what they had forgotten—and what we often forget: the followers of Jesus aren’t on earth to assign blame; we’re here to free the trapped, bandage the wounded, help the hurting, and celebrate homecomings.

AHA.

But the older son didn’t get it. He stayed angry and offended, despite his father’s pleas. This older bro may have worked hard and faithfully tended the fields, but he was lost in his father’s house.

There was no awakening.

There was no honesty.

There was no action.

The truth is, he, too, was a prodigal son. He, too, had a heart that was far from his father. He, too, was lost—but he didn’t see it. Pastor Tim Keller puts it this way: 'The bad son was lost in his badness, but the good son was lost in his goodness.’—AHA Student Edition electronic edition