God wants to be my greatest love!

The Quest for a Joy-Filled Life in Christ, Paradigm 1—God designed us to enjoy him fully! The first stifling misconception is that God wants to be my highest commitment. This stands in contrast to the liberating truth: God wants to be my greatest love. What’s the difference between these two statements and why bother with the distinction?

The parable of the lost son in Luke 15:11-32 graphically displays the difference between making God our highest commitment and making him our greatest love. Before we look at Luke 15 it’s important to note why Jesus told this parable. Luke 15:1-3 (NLT) provides the backdrop, “Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! So Jesus told them this story…” And Jesus proceeds to tell the Pharisees and teachers of the law three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.

Let’s focus on the third parable—the lost son. This parable is not about one son but two. The younger son is the one we generally focus on because of his rejection of his father, his sinful lifestyle and then his repentant heart. The parable also clearly portrays the loving, forgiving character of the father as he receives his wayward son back with open arms. That part of the story ends happily.

The story does not end well for the older brother, however. The older brother graphically depicts the attitudes of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Jesus wanted these religious people to see themselves the way God sees them. Notice the response of the older son to his father’s love and forgiveness for the younger son:

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” (Luke 15:25-32 NLT)

We see a huge tragedy here. Both sons were estranged from their father. The younger son had been alienated from his father by his foolish and sinful lifestyle, but returned in genuine repentance and humility. But the older brother was isolated from his father precisely because of his focus on his own commitment and obedience to him. “All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to.”

The story does not end well for the older brother for he never accepted or enjoyed his father’s love. His father was always there to extend him love, but the older son was self-sufficient and self-righteous. He was committed to his father but he didn’t really know or enjoy his father! Commitment is not what his father desired from his son. His father wanted his love.

Tragically, many of us live our Christian lives through the eyes of the older brother. Our focus is on our commitment, our obedience, our pursuit of good works. The result is we never enjoy the rich fullness of our Father’s love, forgiveness and embrace. This attitude also affects how we see others—always judging, complaining and seeing ourselves better than they are.

Our prayer: Oh, Father, whether we are the younger or older son in this story we come to you humbly and in repentance. Forgive us for both licentious living and self-righteous living. We confess that both lifestyles alienate us from relationship with you. Instead, we come to you and receive your amazing love and forgiveness. Our deepest desire is to love you as you love us.

“Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.” (Ephesians 6:24)

©2009 Rob Fischer