Big Brother – 18 March 2010

“Big Brother is watching you” sent shivers through the spines of people in George Orwell’s 1984.  The big brother in Jesus story of the two sons was not so sinister, but he certainly wasn’t exactly pleased with his wayward younger brother even when he returned home.

This big brother was into being good, and represents that part of us which wants to earn God’s love.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is a better big brother – a big brother who really wants the best for us.  If we have accepted God’s offer of forgiveness, we are welcomed back by God just like the younger brother in Jesus’ story.  We are welcomed into God’s family with Jesus as our big brother:

“you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ”

Romans 8:15-17 [NIV]

Now, with a big brother like that, ‘big brother is watching you’ doesn’t sound so bad - Jesus wants each one of us to become all we were meant to be and with God in us, we can.