30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 15 11-32 To seek and the save the lost - The prodigal son 33 What am I attached to
📖 Luke 15:11-32
15Mar2020 - *What am I attached to?* - _Luke 15:11-32_ - Bible reading: _Luke 18:20-23_
_Luke 15:29-30 So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. (30) But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'_
The elder son is now causing much grief to his father. His father had just become joyful at the return of his younger son but the older brother was now causing him much sadness. This is the narrative of us, called as believers, and claiming to be in the house of God.
The elder son was trusting his achievements to prove his sonship to his father. He expected his father to measure his performance in comparison to that of his younger brother and give him a higher rating. How sadly, he misread his father? Is it not the same with us? We hope that our performance before God will give us a better rating and so, sub-consciously, our life has become all about performance.
_Luke 18:11-12 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. (12) I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'_
Without realising it, we have begun trusting ourselves rather than trusting God, though we call ourselves, ‘believers’. God sees us and He knows that we have stopped trusting Him but are now trusting our own achievements as a means to prove our relationship with Him. We have not realised it, but we have stopped loving God and we have started loving ourselves. The self, has recaptured the throne of our hearts.
_Luke 18:9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:_ We read that the people were busy ticking different boxes to prove their faithfulness to God. _Zechariah 7:3 and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, "Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?"_
How very sadly we have misinterpreted the nature of God and our relationship with Him.
The rich young ruler came to Jesus wanting eternal life. _Luke 18:20-23 You know the commandments: 'DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,' 'DO NOT MURDER,' 'DO NOT STEAL,' 'DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS,' 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER.' " (21) And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth." (22) So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (23) But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich._
He thought that his outward performance would make him eligible for eternal life but the Lord saw his heart and there the Lord pointed out his attachment to money. Each of us of have our own attachments in life, such as material success or be well settled in life, rising the corporate ladder, being recognized in society, being given importance, being appreciated, having power over others, these and many other such attachments that could be holding each of us. For the elder brother, his attachment seems to be about proving his superiority over his younger brother. Unless we let go of our attachments, we cannot come to truly know and love God.
We need to come to God, in humility, seeking Him to show us the true condition of our own hearts and there by His help, surrender our attachments and ourselves completely to Him.
*Thought to ponder*
```Are you prepared to surrender the attachments of your life to God?```