His love for me is such that by now it says more of his goodness than mine.
He hugs me and kisses me as if he had listened to my talks with my Father and now tries to make a mockery of His forgiveness. But he is limited where our Father is limitless and he will fail with me. Out Father overflows, He is the cup that is never empty no matter how thirsty are those who drink. My brother is a cup from which I have already taken many mouthfuls and now it is half empty. If I spill it now, it will not refill. And I will soon spill it without drinking. I will turn his glass and I will show him the emptiness of it. Then I will say: "Your love is not a spring everlasting. Behold the emptiness."
On this earth there is no chalice of love that I will not overturn. To every one of my Father's creatures, I will empty their glass and I will show them the emptiness of it. Because there is no love on this earth that can rival His, and to think otherwise is arrogance.
How wrong is my brother when he thinks he can love me without any uneasiness and wholeheartedly. And yet, will he be as happy as my Father when, in the end, I return and my Father holds a feast? Will he not, in that moment, say to my Father: "All these ages I have been by your side in good and bad. I have never left you or transgressed against your word, but have you ever gave me and my friends leave for merriment? But to this one, who has already taken his share and lost it all for nothing, to him you give such welcome?"
How little does my brother understand that I have made myself unhappy to get the greater portion of our Father's love. What reward do they expect, those who made themselves more glorious in His service? But greatly rewarded they shall be nonetheless, according to their measure. To my brother He will surely say: "It is true, you have always been by My side. Everything that is Mine is yours. Aren't you the overseer of My land? You served Me honorably, and you never transgressed against My word. With My glory your glory has been enhanced. But this son of Mine served Me and was diminished. He served Me even in his transgression as you did in your obedience."
My brother gives me now my golden cape but it slips from my back because he can't put it on me wholeheartedly. He says to me as I am kneeling before him: "You are forgiven. Rise." But can that be said by someone whose love for me can be spent? He says: "You will be treated with no grudge." But can he stop the thoughts that blossom in them, high-stemmed and full of vigor?
They have adorned the hall where I have abased myself. The flowers of their hate and suspicion are decked on me so that they cover me almost completely and nothing of myself is left underneath. In there you can almost forget the warmth of your Father's arms, all alone with your own heart.