The Attitude of Gratitude

In a Bible passage I read this morning, the people of Egypt expressed their gratitude to Joseph for saving their lives from a great famine.  After their money was spent for food, their animals traded for food, and their properties were given for food, Joseph freely supplied seed and land for the people to profit from.  The people were entitled to receive 80% of the produce of the land to provide seed and food for their families, and the remaining 20% was Pharaoh's portion.  The people were happy with this arrangement and pledged themselves to serve Pharaoh because he saved their lives, provided land and seed, and he gave them profitable employment and a future.

The attitude of gratitude that marked the Egyptians ought to be found in God's people, for He has saved us from eternal ruin and given us everything that pertains to life and godliness forever.  Despite all God has graciously done for us, we can more resemble the older brother in the parable Jesus told of the prodigal son.  In the parable, after the wayward prodigal son came home and his father organised a feast to celebrate his return, the older brother was angry and left the party.  When the feast was in full swing and the father realised his older son was absent, he left the joyous celebration to find him and persuade him to return.  The older brothers response to his dad is recorded in Luke 15:29-30:  "So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ³⁰ But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'"

The older son refused to even enjoy the festive occasion because he obsessed over all his contributions for years and the lack of recognition he received for his faithful service.  His negative judgments of his brother spilled over to criticism of his father, and he allowed feelings of envy, anger and entitlement to ruin a feast he ought to have enjoyed--and by doing so would honour his generous father.  But the older son cared more about himself and his honour than his father.  Unlike the Egyptians who were glad to serve Pharaoh for saving their lives, having given them food and profitable jobs, the older son overlooked all his father gave him and did for him from his infancy.  He saw himself as without fault and accused his father of being stingy toward him.  This petulant behaviour sprang from an envious, selfish heart that desired his brother to be punished rather than celebrated.  Yet the party came about, not due to the worthiness of the returning son, but the goodness of the father.  The older brother was invited and urged to enjoy the party, and I am sure his friends were welcome to enjoy the feast as well.  The problem was not in the father but in the heart and mind of the son.

Luke 15:31-32 tells us the father's response:  "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³² It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"  It was right to make merry and be glad, to celebrate the return of a son who was lost but then was found.  The favour of the father extended to both his sons was gracious and loving, for neither one deserved the kindness, mercy and generosity of heart shown by the father.  The father said, "All that I have is yours."  At times the younger and older son both divorced themselves from the blessings of their father by their own waywardness, envy and pride.  One left home in the pursuit of fleshly lusts, and the other withdrew from the feast due to his own self-righteousness and anger over offences.  As children of the most high God, let us be those who rejoice in God our Father because of Who He is and all He has done.  It is God's good pleasure to give us to the kingdom, and we are entirely undeserving of any honour.  What is our service to God in comparison to all He has done?  May we have an attitude of gratitude to be included in God's family, the joy of the LORD being our strength (Neh. 8:10).  By embracing joy and gladness in service to God we honour our Father.