Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-08-01
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR.


HOpie For the Week Beginning Au9,
@Commens by Rev. 8. III. Doyle.
Torso--Tne evil Of enEy.-LGke Nv, 3 =
THE PARABLE /
The parable OF the elder brother
II so oyershadowed by that Of the
prodigal son. with which it Is con-
nected, that II is little studied. Yet in
most Bible students the spirit OF the
elder brother is more often found than
that OF the prodigaI sou. Many of US
may not be prodigals in the sense OF
the younger brother Few OF rs can
say that we have nothing of the spirit
of the elder brother. The elder son, In
the parable, comes in from the field to
hear merrymaking over the return Of
his brother When told what II meant
By a servant, who seemed to know
more about the household affairs than
the son. he was angry and would not
go in. His father. as loving and tender
with him as with the other. came out
and entreated him. showing him that
his course was fitting. and that it did
no injustice TO him. Whether he was
convinced or not we do not know. Let us
hope that we. as elder brothers, may
be.
THE INTERPRETATION.
Whom does the elder brother repre-
sent? This has ever been perplexing
question, to which various answers
have been given, ranging from the an
gels down to the opinion that he repre-
sents no particular class. but a spirit
that characterizes men OF all classes.
Bearing In mind that parable can
not be significant IN all its details,
there is no difficulty In seeing in the
elder brother the scribes and Phari-
sees, whom Jesus undoubtedly had In
mind. They certainly did possess the
spirit Of the elder brother, and ii was
this envious spirit in them that Christ
wanted to condemn. 1t Is difficult TO
explain how Christ could make God
say to them, All that have is thine"
but this is only secondary feature of
the parable and may be understood
conditionally. Christ for the moment
may have been willing to grant their
claim that they were the true children
Of God. that he might condemn IN
them the spirit that took offense when
God was gentle and forgiving toward
others than themselves.
The elder brother Is the personifica-
ton of envy. /. We can see In him
the root of envy. Envy has its root
In false self esteem. 1t was self con-
ceit in the Pharisees that made them
complain when Jesus associated with
sinners. 1t was egotism In the elder
brother that made him criticise the
merrymaking In honor Of his brothers
return. They looked upon these ac-
tons toward others as an affront to-
ward themselves, and they did SO be-
cause they had a false estimate of
themselves. Praise of another is not
condemnation OF us. Appreciation of
another Is not a depreciation OF US.
II we learn, in honor, to prefer another
to ourselves, envy will be destroyed at
Its root. 2 We see the evil and in
justice Of envy. 1t was wrong and IN
just for the elder son to condemn his
father. The father was not robbing
him to feast his brother. Even IL the
Pharisees had been as faithful to God
n they professed to be, God meant no
offense to them in welcoming sinners
and In being willing to forgive them.
Envy is always unjust-unjust 10 the
enyfous and unjust to the envied. 1t
makes thousands of lives miserable
that should be happy. Let us, in the
mind of Jesus, learn to think less of
ourselves and more of others, and we
Will be less sensitive TO our own merits
and less likely to have our lives made
miserable because OF envy.
THE PRAYER MEETING.
Let the leader explain the parable,
and then have a voluntary discussion
Of the topic.
BIBLE READINGS
Job Y, .; rs. xxxvii Ill; Prov.
xiv, Iii, IS; xvii. 4; Eccl. iv. 4:
hath. xvii. 15-1s, ACTS vii, 8, 10; l
Cor. xiii, 49, Jas iii, 10; Pet. ii, 1-3. b,
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