In his book, The Prodigal God, Timothy Keller discusses the parable of the lost son, and more specifically he details the state of heart of the “Elder Brother” in that parable.  Here is an excerpt:  ”Elder brothers base their self-images on being hardworking, or moral, or members of an elite clan, or extremely smart and savvy.  This inevitably leads to feeling superior to those who don’t have those same qualities.  In fact, competitive comparison is the main way elder brothers achieve a sense of their own significance.  Racism and classism are just different versions of this form of the self-salvation project.  This dynamic becomes exceptionally intense when elder brothers pride themselves above all for their right religion.  If a group believes God favors them because of their particularly true doctrine, ways of worship, and ethical behavior, their attitude toward those without these things can be hostile.  Their self-righteousness hides under the claim that they are only opposing the enemies of God.  When you look at the world through those lenses, it becomes easy to justify hate and oppression, all in the name of truth.  As Richard Lovelace has written:

‘[People] who are no longer sure that God loves and accepts them in Jesus, apart from their present spiritual achievements, are subconsciously radically insecure persons…Their insecurity shows itself in pride, a fierce, defensive assertion of their own righteousness, and defensive criticism of others.  They come naturally to hate other cultural styles and other races in order to bolster their own security and discharge their suppressed anger.’

Elder brother self-righteousness not only creates racism and classism, but at the personal level creates an unforgiving, judgmental spirit.  This elder brother cannot pardon his younger brother for the way he has weakened the family’s place in society, disgraced their name, and diminished their wealth.  He highlights the fact that the younger brother has been with prostitutes, while he has been living a chaste life at home.  ’I would never do anything as bad as that!’ he is saying in his heart.  Because he does not see himself as being part of a common community of sinners, he is trapped by his own bitterness.  It is impossible to forgive someone if you feel superior to him or her.

If you can’t control your temper, and you see someone else losing theirs in exactly the same way that you do, you tend to forgive them, because you know you are no better a person than they.  How can I hold this against them when I am just as bad? you think.  However, because elder brothers’ sin and antipathy to God is hidden deep beneath layers of self-control and moral behavior, they have no trouble feeling superior to just about anyone.  If they see people who lie, or cheat on their wives, or don’t pray to God–they look down on them.  If such people wrong them, elder brothers feel their spotless record gives them the right to be highly offended and to perpetually remind the wrongdoer of his or her failure.”

Keller goes on, “If the elder brother had known his own heart, he would have said, ‘I am just as self-centered and a grief to my father in my own way as my brother is in his.  I have no right to feel superior.’  Then he would have had the freedom to give his brother the same forgiveness that his father did.  But elder brothers do not see themselves this way.  Their anger is a prison of their own making.”