Doubtless the relationship between the father and the older son is, not only in and of the narrative itself, but also in Keller’s interpretation of it, analogous to the relationship between God and believers. What Keller is interested in this relationship is the state of the inner heart when the believer keeps God’s commandments. The older son, while keeping everything what his father wanted him to keep, was indignant at the fact that his younger brother, who just returned to beg his father after squandering all his inheritance from his father, was still loved and blessed so much by his father that his father did not mind throwing a party for him. Keller shrewdly points out that so many cradle Christians who try to define their relationship with God by what they have done for God, instead of what God has done for them, misunderstood the gospel. For the gospel is not about our attempting to follow God’s commandments, but about how receptive we are to God’s love lavished on us. He also argues that once the believer rightly accepts the gospel message, what is supposed to happen is not a mere change of the relationship between God and the believer, but that between the believer and others, especially those the believer deems morally inferior to herself.
Through reading this book, I have noticed that I have been very similar to the older brother in Keller’s interpretation of the narrative, ever since I decided to believe in God when I was a high school junior. In other words, I have not so much let God’s love for me define who I am as my work for God does it for who I am. I hope that the readers will be able to have a fresh understanding of the gospel through reading this book, so much so that they will learn to define who they are not by their doings, but by their being accepted by God’s love. As for me, I will continually put up reviews of Keller’s books.