Article January 28, 1991 Issue

Is fighting the temptation to sin really worth it?

Why not indulge in sinful living now if we can be forgiven of it later?

Lisa M. Rennie

Look at it from a loss-gain perspective. According to one of Jesus' parables, a father divided his living between his two sons. The younger son, since called the prodigal, took his share of the inheritance and went "into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living." Finally broke, degraded, and starving, he repented; and the father joyfully received him back —as a son.

His older brother, according to the limited evidence in the story, remained with the father. The Bible states that the older brother "was in the field" when the prodigal returned. This indicates that he was working, though the Bible says nothing about his motives for or attitude toward the work. Nowhere is he contradicted, however, when he says to his father, "Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment."

So which son came out ahead? The prodigal had a indulgent time (until his money ran out), gained a vast amount of experience (although he suffered greatly in gaining it), and returned home to a thunderous welcome—to rejoicing and merrymaking in his honor. For his hard work and unwavering obedience, the older son apparently missed out on the "good times" and gained no experience of the world. On top of that, not only was he not given a party; nobody even thought to invite him to his brother's. He discovered the festivities upon returning home from the fields. It's hard not to sympathize with his complaint to his father.

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