God Motivation and the Stationary Prodigal

Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him! (Luke 15:29-30)  Who's that whiner?  It's the good boy, the guy who stayed to serve and work and make his daddy proud.  It's the arrogant boy, the young man who would rather see his little brother punished then restored and rejoiced over.  In short, it's the stationary prodigal.  Oh, we're aware of the story of "The Prodigal Son," and even if we haven't read the account in the Bible, there's a lot in the title that gives us a good idea of what happened.  But just for a refresher, here's what went down: Rich dad, two sons, younger says he wants his inheritance while dad is still kickin'.  Little guy (and older son) get the wealth divided between them and baby brother blows it all in Sin City, shortly thereafter hitting rock bottom, repenting, and returning humbly to dad who welcomes back his prodigal.  Enter: comments above from "faithful" big brother.  It's easy for me to read this story and mostly hear, "God (the father in the story) is a gracious God and forgives repentant sinners."  That's true and applies to me as a sinner, but it's not going far enough for me because I'm too much like the older son, doing what's right on the outside and trusting in my own goodness to make Father proud.  What that means is that I have to throw down some hate on the runaway who can't keep his act together.  After all, look at what happens when you're a bad boy; see all the consequences and all the problems you cause...for...me through your...existence!?  Even the argument breaks down without looking for the theological reasons of why I should rejoice any time I see God's mercy extended to the one in need.  Yep, I'm the older son, quietly seeking my own glory and praise.  I'm the one who forgets that a God motivated heart means coming to the Father like the "traditional" prodigal on an everyday basis in humble repentance, overwhelmed by the fact that there is any grace at all left for a whiner such as me.  And I'm the stationary prodigal who needs to extend the kind of love my Daddy shows when that trouble-making bad boy shows his face.