Note 8 at Lk. 15:29: This older brother's statements reveal that he hadn't served his father for love, but rather for the "things" that serving him produced. If relationship with his father had been the real desire of the older brother, then he would have rejoiced to see his father's joy at the return of his son. The repentant prodigal son had learned the vanity of things and he had come home to a relationship with his father that neither he nor his older brother had known before.

The scribes and Pharisees, like the older brother, had gotten caught up in serving self through their religious actions, and were critical of the Lord giving the publicans and sinners what they desired (vv. 1-2). However, the publicans and sinners through repentance were supplying their Father with what He really wanted--relationship. The scribes' and Pharisees' dead rituals pleased only themselves. Relationship with the Father was always available to the scribes and Pharisees (v. 31) but they chose the temporal praise of men rather than the relationship with God (Jn. 12:43).