Luke 15:25

The older brother, the older son coming from the field, the people of the law, hears the music and dancing in the Father's house, yet he does not want to enter. "The harvest indeed is abundant, but the laborers are few." Every day we see …

Or to take the whole differently; the character of the son who seems to complain is put for all those who are offended at the sudden advances and salvation of the perfect, as David introduces one who took offence at the peace of sinners. Or he was in the field, that is, in the world, pampering his own flesh, that he might be filled with bread, and sowing in tears that he might reap in joy, but when he found what was being done, he was unwilling to enter into the common joy. Or by this parable our Lord reproves the will of the Pharisees, whom according to the argument he terms just, as if to say, Let it be that you are truly just, having transgressed none of the commandments, must we then for this reason refuse to admit those who turn away from their iniquities? The son then says to the father, For nothing I left a life of sorrow, ever harassed by sinners who were my enemies, and never hast thou for my sake ordered a kid to be slain, (that is, a sinner who persecuted me,) that I might enjoy myself for a little. Such a kid was Ahab to Elijah, who said, Lord, they have killed thy prophets. (1 Kings 19:14.)

Now his son was etc. After he showed the mercy of the loving father in accepting the conversion of the penitent, here secondly he shows his mercy in appeasing the indignation of the obedient son. Now this part is divided into two. In the first …

But his elder son was in the field. The elder son is the people of Israel who, although he did not go into the distant land, is said not to have stayed at home, but in the field, because the same people neither forsook the …

While the Scribes and Pharisees were murmuring about His receiving sinners, our Saviour put three parables to them successively. In the two first He hints at the joy He has with the angels in the salvation of penitents. But in the third He not only declares His own joy and that of His angels, but He also blames the murmurings of those who were envious. For He says, Now his elder son was in the field.

And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. The son draws near to the house when those more considerate among the Israelites (for many such were found among them, and often are found) condemn the labor of servile …

Here they raise the well-known question: how is it that the son who in all other respects lived and served his father in a pleasing manner turns out to be envious? But the question will be resolved as soon as one considers why this parable …

They are sometimes ranked with harlots ( Matt. xxi. 32 ); here and elsewhere with sinners, such as were openly vicious, that traded with harlots, known rakes. Some think that the sinners here meant were heathen, and that Christ was now on the other side Jordan, or in Galilee of the Gentiles.

A sinner is not only dead in law, as he is under a sentence of death, but dead in state too, dead in trespasses and sins, destitute of spiritual life; no union with Christ, no spiritual senses exercised, no living to God, and therefore dead.

Now his elder son was in the field,....

In the field - At work. This eldest son is designed to represent the Pharisees who had found fault with the Saviour. Their conduct is likened to that of this envious and unnatural brother. Music and dancing - Dancing was not uncommon among the Hebrews, and was used on various occasions. Thus Miriam celebrated the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt in dances as well as songs, Exo 15:20. David danced before the ark, 2Sa 6:

These verses form the conclusion of the parable of the prodigal son. They are far less well known than the verses which go before them. But they were spoken by the same lips which described the younger son's return to his father's house. Like everything which those lips spoke — they will be found deeply profitable. We are taught, firstly, in this passage — how unkind and mean-spirited are the feelings of self-righteous men towards sinners. This is a lesson which our Lord conveys to us by describing the conduct of the "elder brother" of the prodigal son.

These verses form the conclusion of the parable of the prodigal son. They are far less well known than the verses which go before them. But they were spoken by the same lips which described the younger son's return to his father's house. Like everything which those lips spoke — they will be found deeply profitable. We are taught, firstly, in this passage — how unkind and mean-spirited are the feelings of self-righteous men towards sinners. This is a lesson which our Lord conveys to us by describing the conduct of the "elder brother" of the prodigal son. He shows him to us "angry" and finding fault because of the rejoicings over his brother's return. He shows him complaining that his father treated the returning prodigal too well — and that he himself had not been treated as well as his merits deserved. He shows him utterly unable to share in the joy which prevailed when his younger brother came home, and giving away to mean-spirited and envious thoughts. It is a painful picture, but a very instructive one. For one thing, this elder brother is an exact picture of the Jews of our Lord's times. They could not bear the idea of their 'Gentile' younger brother being made partaker of their privileges. They would gladly have excluded him from God's favor. They steadily refused to see that the Gentiles were to be fellow-heirs and partakers of Christ with themselves. In all this, they were precisely acting the part of the "elder brother." For another thing, the elder brother is an exact type of the Scribes and Pharisees of our Lord's times. They objected that our Lord received sinners and ate with them. They murmured because He opened the door of salvation to publicans and harlots. They would have been better pleased if our Lord had confined His ministry to them and their party, and had left the ignorant and wicked entirely alone.

His elder son - Meaning probably persons of a regular moral life, who needed no repentance in comparison of the prodigal already described. In the field - Attending the concerns of the farm. He heard music - Συμφωνιας, a number of sounds mingled together, as in a concert. Dancing - Χορων. But Le Clerc denies that the word means dancing at all, as it properly means a choir of singers. The symphony mentioned before may mean the musical instruments which accompanied the choirs of singers.