Charles Spurgeon Commentary Luke 15:32

"But it was meet to make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive [again]; and [was] lost, and is found." — Luke 15:32 (ASV)

It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

It was the fit thing, and the proper thing, and the right thing, that there should be extraordinary joy over a returning sinner. There ought to be, there must be, there shall be, special music and dancing over sinners saved by the grace of God. The Lord give us some like them tonight, and make us glad over them! Amen.

That we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother.

"You call him my son, but he is your brother, and I remind you of it – this your brother."

Was dead, and is alive again: and was lost, and is found.

So if there are any here who do not take the joy they should in the conversion of great sinners, let them hear the gentle persuasive voice of God. You, as believers, have everything. Christ is yours. Heaven is yours. You are always with God, and all that He has belongs to you. But it is proper and fitting that, when a sinner returns from the error of his ways, they should ring the bells of heaven and make a fuss over him, for he was dead and is alive again. I hope that you and I will never catch the spirit of the elder brother.

Yet I remember that Krummacher says that he found that same spirit in himself sometimes. There was a man in the village where Krummacher lived, who was a great drunkard and everything that was bad; and suddenly he came into a very large sum of money and became a wealthy man. Krummacher felt, "Well, this hardly looks like the right thing—so many good, honest, hardworking people in the parish still remaining poor, and this worthless man has suddenly become wealthy and well-to-do." It seemed a strange way in the order of providence.

Oh! We should rejoice and be glad when another person prospers, and wish that his prosperity may be blessed to him. I remember a minister years ago, when first Mr. Moody came, saying that he did not believe that Mr. Moody was sent by God "because," said he, "I find that many of the people who are converted under him never went to a place of worship before. It is only the riff-raff that are brought in." There is a nasty elder brother spirit.

The riff-raff were just the people that we wanted to bring in, and if they had never been to a place of worship before, it was time that they should go. It was a mercy that they were brought in. Oh! Instead of ever sniffing at sinners as if we were better than them, let us welcome them with all our heart and praise the heavenly Father that He so lovingly takes them in.

It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found.

After that reply, there was nothing more that could be said, even by the grumbling elder brother.

And it was meet: it was fitting, it was proper.

That we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother. For he is your brother. Notwithstanding your richer experience, and your deeper Christian knowledge, and your high standing in the church, this poor prodigal, who is just saved, is your brother; so it is fitting that we should make merry, and be glad, for this your brother.

It was meet

It was right, it was proper, it was fitting—