The younger son was looking for performance, if he was doing good or bad, but the father was looking for belonging, that it was his son.
Mercy triumphs over judgement.
When God gives us blessings it is not because of what we do, good or bad, but because we belong to him as his children and because of his compassion.
The older son thought that his father gives him things, depending on if he has been a good boy, doing good things, and avoiding doing bad, based entirely on performance.
The older son did not comprehend his son-ship and belonging as a son to his father. He thought his father loved him depending on what he does, good or bad, being worthy or not.
Many Christians today look for performance of doing good things in order to get blessings from God. They forget that their belonging as children of God, pulls down blessings from heaven.
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