Day 227- Seeds of Judgment
📖Daily Reading
Luke 15
Join me on my morning walk as we rise and shine together by walking through the Bible daily and learn a practical applicable coaching nugget from the ultimate life coach - our creator (whatever that means to you). No judgement zone here, all are welcome, we are all on a spiritual journey because we are after all spiritual beings having a human experience.
📝 Reflection
Luke 15: 28-30 The Prodigal Son
“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. Hi 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 thin 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 him the fattened calf!”
The Prodigal Son, a story that we all know Jesus follower or not. Marinating in the detail of it's nuances and meaning beyond what I have taken away from it before. First I will be super honest and vulnerable and say that I identify with the older brother so much in this story. The older brother allowed seeds of judgment to be planted in his heart and then he nurtured them and allowed those seeds to germinate and grow. I have done the same thing, they are like invasive weeds that take over and cause bitterness and resentment. Interestingly enough from a place of good intention or and intention to be good. His reaction though reveals his true heart in the matter.
I really sat with his/my emotions and traced the threads back, you can see it is not just a judgment against the younger brother but against the father. He didn’t trust his father’s judgment. The father in this story is supposed to represent God. He is just all over the place judging. The older brother is another representation of the Pharisees as well. I took a lot of notes as I was reading and I am going to share a few of my bullet points from the story:
- Father divides his wealth between both of the sons at the request of the younger son
- Older son also got an early inheritance
- Younger son leaves and spends all of his money living a life of indulgence and the older son stays and helps on the family farm
- Father does not chase after younger son, lets him go
- Younger son repents when he hits ‘rock bottom’, but it is a true change of heart and he realizes the errors of his ways, he knows he does not deserve forgiveness or to be considered as his fathers son anymore
- He realizes that even servants get to live better than he was living and that maybe he could be a servant and he would be grateful for that
- Younger son returns home and expresses his sinfulness to his father and that he knows he does not deserve to be called his son.
- Father is so grateful that his son is alive that he wants to celebrate and throw a party
- Older son arrives on the scene of the extravagant party and is angry- he does not know about his brothers change of heart and his repentance to their father
- His father encouraged him to come celebrate because the brother is alive when he was believed to be dead
So reading between the lines and emotions, bitterness had been brewing in the older brother's heart for a while. He jumped to some conclusions without having all the facts. He also was so used to his ‘normal’ life of plenty that he was evidently not only taking it for granted but was resenting it. I am guessing there is a bit of envy and jealously at work here as well. He envied the younger brothers boldness to ask for and take his inheritance and then go satisfy his personal desires and shirk his responsibilities. These seeds of judgement were growing into things like; entitlement, resentment, FOMO, sadness, grief, and bitterness.
I can imagine that he was imagining while he was working and ‘slaving’ away and left to do all the work that his brother off galavanting. He probably also imagined a life that maybe he should have been living as well, but that the ‘couldn’t’ because he had chosen to stay home and be the responsible one. Arriving at the scene of his brother’s return and his father celebrating he jumped to the conclusion that there were no consequences for his bothers decisions. Not realizing how depraved his brother had become and as a result how repentant he was upon his return. He jumped to conclusions of his father not loving him as much. Etc.. etc.. etc..
These feelings are an invitation to get curious, if you are willing to examine your heart. You might not like what you see, but it can turn the bitterness into healing and gratitude. The older brother got all that time with his father, building memories and relationship, he had a home and responsibilities, a beautiful life. He was focusing on the few things he maybe didn’t have, vs what he did. He allowed his blessings and his minor inconveniences to become burdens. I think he was a bit jealous of his brothers boldness, maybe if there is another take away we can have is that we should all be bold in seeking and giving love. If he had wanted a young goat to celebrate with his friends, maybe he should have been bold enough to ask for it, vs. secretly feeling and entitled and disappointed that his father did not offer.
I could go on for pages, but I won’t. Lessons I learned today is to be bold with my gratitude, be grateful to just to wake up every morning, grateful for breath and a heart beat all that helps be alive through no effort on my own. Be bold with my life, don’t squander it with indulgences or with pride and self righteousness. Trust my heavenly father’s character and judgement. Check in with my emotions and trace them back to their seeds. Be honest about my motives and take personal responsibility for my own choices. Be grateful that while I don’t have a lot of ‘good’ stories to tell of indulgences and shenanigans I have the blessing of relationships that have stayed in tact and lots of memories with loved ones. Also, is my sinfulness really better than my sisters? The sin of pride and self righteousness causes its own kind of depravity. It also leads to self deception and hiding true motives behind a front of piety. Looking nice on the outside while there is a toxic garden of weeds inside.
✍🏼Daily Journal Prompt
Which character in this story do you identify with? Why? Are you willing to dig deep into your own heart and see where seeds of judgment have been planted and nurtured?
📖Tomorrows Reading
Luke 16
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