Spiritually we see an illustration of this in the story of the older brother of the prodigal son.14 His bitterness and unwillingness to take part in the celebration of his brother’s return points to what he is still clinging to—life’s unfairness, his own hurt, and his own unfulfilled fantasies. He is living in his father’s house but he is no longer receiving the spirit of that house. Consequently, he is bitter, feels cheated, and lives joylessly.
