Every individual must write his or her own ending to this story!

Luke 15:28-32
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

The petition he heard from his father.

1. It was a petition of pleading

• The father went out and “entreated” this boy to come in to the feast.
• The word “entreat” means “to come alongside of another to offer aid and comfort, to beg, to console, to comfort, to encourage".
• It is the same word that is translated “Comforter” in John 16:13 and is one of the names of the Holy Spirit. This father loved him.

2. It was a petition of promise

• The father praised him for his efforts, and reminded him that everything was already his! In effect, this father was saying, “I value you and our relationship together more than I value your works".
• This boy could have enjoyed fellowship with the father anytime he wanted, but apparently, he was too wrapped up within his own legalism and narrow-mindedness to realise it.
• This boy wanted what the father had, but he did not want the father, and he did not want anyone else to have the father either.
• What a tragedy!

3. It was a petition of priorities

• The father tells this boy that is was “meet” that they should have this celebration. The word “meet” means “necessary”. To the father, the return of the lost son was a cause for celebration.
• A lost one had been found.
• One considered dead was now alive again.

You see, instead of pouting, this boy could have been partying!

• Look at this chapter: everyone is happy but this boy.
• The shepherd is happy. The woman is happy.
• The father is happy. The lost son is happy.
• The servants are happy. The only person in misery is this elder brother.

And, he is miserable because he refuses to be happy. The feast is there, all he has to do is go in and enjoy himself. But, he is standing out there pouting, because he didn’t get his way and because he is not the center of attention!

Have you ever noticed that this is an open-ended story?
Did the elder brother ever come into the feast? We don’t know.
I think Jesus left it this way for a reason.

And here is that reason: Every individual must write his or her own ending to this story!

That's my five minutes!