Luke Chapter 11-15
Recovery Lesson: Denial
Here in chapter 15 Luke lays down the foundation for Jesus as our God of second chances with the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin & the lost son.
Chapter 11-14 is primarily a warning to those in denial about the true nature of God. So according to Luke, Jesus’ ministry proclaims that he is Master and Savior of the lost... and we are all lost! It is the denial of the fact of our lost-ness that he riles against as hypocrisy.
In Luke 13:1-8 Jesus calls us to repent with the parable of the fig tree. But as is his nature, he is patiently waiting for us as he says, “...leave it alone one more year.”
So this is how Jesus tells us that to break our denial:
· I must repent (to acknowledge our errors – call them out by name);
· I must take responsibility (to accept my errors – own them by name);
· I must surrender (to unload my errors – surrender them to Him);
This is His formula for breaking denial & setting ourselves free from the false beliefs that have keep us captive.
But what is the one false belief, the real basis of our errors, that we must stop clinging to?
Recovery Lesson: Denial
Here in chapter 15 Luke lays down the foundation for Jesus as our God of second chances with the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin & the lost son.
Chapter 11-14 is primarily a warning to those in denial about the true nature of God. So according to Luke, Jesus’ ministry proclaims that he is Master and Savior of the lost... and we are all lost! It is the denial of the fact of our lost-ness that he riles against as hypocrisy.
In Luke 13:1-8 Jesus calls us to repent with the parable of the fig tree. But as is his nature, he is patiently waiting for us as he says, “...leave it alone one more year.”
So this is how Jesus tells us that to break our denial:
· I must repent (to acknowledge our errors – call them out by name);
· I must take responsibility (to accept my errors – own them by name);
· I must surrender (to unload my errors – surrender them to Him);
This is His formula for breaking denial & setting ourselves free from the false beliefs that have keep us captive.
But what is the one false belief, the real basis of our errors, that we must stop clinging to?
“He who clings to his life
will lose it,
But he who loses his life,
will gain it.” (Lk 17:33)
It is the false belief, deep down inside, based on our past hurts, that we are unlovable & unloved. This is a lie.
The truth is that we are loved. Luke tells us through Jesus own words that the worse we are, the farther we’ve wandered, the deeper we’ve fallen, the more dear we are to Him. He waits for us in joyful anticipation at our return:
But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive; he was lost and is found. (Lk 15:32)
The truth that we are denying is:
There is nothing wrong with our own true selves,
But that we have hidden behind the false belief,
That we had to be someone we were not,
That we could not be the someone that we are
And still be loved.
And still loved we are
After all we’ve done
By the one who knows the truth
And loves us still,
now and forever. SW
That is the truth that we can no longer deny. We must put down our guilt, anger & shame and accept his precious gift.
SW
1 comment:
thanks for your comment.
it was recieved it the spirit given. if i implied this suggestion was an assignment i was in error. the only requirements of the program are the in guidlines and the workbooks. honest feedback is always appreciated.
Steve Wilson
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