From: Over 50 Interpreters Explain the Gospel of
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By
Roland H. Worth, Jr. © 2015
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Books utilized codes at end of chapter.
15:1 Translations
Weymouth: Now the
tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners were everywhere in the habit of coming
close to Him to listen to Him;
WEB: Now all
the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.
Young’s: And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners
were coming nigh to him, to hear him,
Conte (RC): Now tax collectors
and sinners were drawing near to him, so that they might listen to him.
15:1 Then drew near unto Him. Neither the time nor the place is definitely
indicated; but only the fact that somewhere there was a great concourse of the
despised publicans and their associates to Him, in the course of which the
incident to be related took place. [52]
all. The word emphasizes the freedom with which
He allowed anyone of that class to approach Him and share His teachings. [52]
the publicans [tax
collectors, NKJV]. St. Chrysostom says
that their very life was legalized sin and specious greed. [56]
and sinners. “The
sinners” mean in general the degraded and outcast classes. [56]
Or: The Pharisees classed as
"sinners" all who failed to observe the traditions of the elders, and
especially their traditional rules of purification. It was not so much the
wickedness of this class as their legal uncleanness that made it wrong to eat
with them. Compare Galatians 2:12-13. [53]
for to hear
Him.
In the days before sound
amplifiers, the best way to hear a person speaking on the street or in the
synagogue was to be as close to him as feasible. [rw]
15:2 Translations
Weymouth: and this led
the Pharisees and the Scribes indignantly to complain, saying, "He gives a
welcome to notorious sinners, and joins them at their meals!"
WEB: The
Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man welcomes sinners,
and eats with them."
Young’s: and the Pharisees and the scribes were
murmuring, saying -- This one doth receive sinners, and doth eat with them.'
Conte (RC): And the Pharisees
and the scribes murmured, saying, "This one accepts sinners and eats with
them."
15:2 And the
Pharisees and scribes. In this case and probably most others, their
convictions either matched or were closely parallel. [rw]
murmured. This
complaint is one with which we are already familiar (5:30; 7:34). [52]
They affected
to suppose that if Jesus treated sinners kindly he must be fond of their
society, and be a man of similar character.
They considered it disgraceful to be with them or to eat with them, and
they, therefore, brought a charge against Him for it. They would not suppose that he admitted them
to his society for the purpose of doing them good; nor did they remember that
the very object of His coming was to call the wicked from their ways and to
save them from death. [11]
this man receiveth sinners. Even their touch was regarded as unclean
by the Pharisees. But our Lord, who read
the heart, knew that the religious professors were often the worse sinners
before God, and He associated with sinners that He might save them. It is this yearning of redemptive love which
finds its richest illustration in these three parables. They contain the very essence of the Glad Tidings,
and two of them are peculiar to Luke. [56]
You can’t reach someone with the Truth if you are unable to talk with
them with courtesy. It isn’t a matter of
approving what they’ve done—quite a few that Jesus dealt with could
surely have written “X-rated” autobiographies; our world did not either invent
sin or give approval to some of its worst practitioners. Yet Jesus was always far more concerned with
what they could become, rather than with what they were. If they insisted on continuing to wear their
chains, He had at least given them the opportunity to break out of them. That decision they—like today—had to
make for themselves. [rw]
and eateth with them. The
philosopher Seneca made a practice of dining with his slaves, and when challenged
for an innovation so directly in the teeth of all customary proprieties and so
offensive to the Roman mind, he defended himself by saying that he dined with
some because they were worthy of his esteem and with others that they might
become so. The action and its defense
were alike admirable. But it was even a
greater shock to the Pharisees and, if possible, even more unaccountable, that
Jesus should prefer the society of notorious sinners to their own
irreproachable manners and decorous conversation. They were honestly surprised and [startled]
by His treatment of these [amoral and immoral tax collectors]. [37]
15:3 Translations
Weymouth: So in
figurative language He asked them,
WEB: He told
them this parable.
Young’s: And he spake
unto them this simile, saying,
Conte (RC): And he told this
parable to them, saying:
15:3 And
He speak this parable unto them, saying. In these three parables we have pictures of
the bewildered sinner (3-7); the unconscious sinner 8-10); the voluntary
sinner (11-32). [56]
15:4 Translations
Weymouth: "Which of
you men, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the
ninety-nine in their pasture and go in search of the lost one till he finds it?
WEB: "Which
of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn't leave
the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he
found it?
Young’s: 'What man of you having a hundred sheep,
and having lost one out of them, doth not leave behind the ninety-nine in the
wilderness, and go on after the lost one, till he may find it?
Conte (RC): "What man among
you, who has one hundred sheep, and if he will have
lost one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after
the one whom he had lost, until he finds it?
15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of
them. And yet out of this large flock the good
shepherd grieves for one which strays.
There is an Arab saying that God has divided pity into a hundred parts,
and kept ninety-nine for Himself. [56]
doth not leave
the ninety and nine. The sheep are left of course under minor
shepherds, not uncared for. Some see in
the Lost Sheep the whole human race, and in the
ninety-nine the Angels: as though mankind
were but a hundredth part of God’s flock.
[56]
in the
wilderness. Not a desert place, but uncultivated plains;
pasturage. Note that the sheep are being pastured in the wilderness. A traveller, cited anonymously by Trench, says: "There
are, indeed, some accursed patches, where scores of miles lie before you like a
tawny Atlantic, one yellow wave rising before another. But far from
infrequently there are regions of wild fertility where the earth shoots forth a
jungle of aromatic shrubs" (Parables). [2]
and go after
that which is lost, until he find it? The Talmudists taught—and their teaching, no
doubt, is but the reflection of what was taught in the great rabbinical schools
of Jerusalem before its ruin—that a man who had been guilty of many sins might,
by repentance, raise himself to a higher degree of virtue than the perfectly
righteous man who had never experienced his temptations. If this were so, well argues Professor Bruce,
"surely it was reasonable to occupy one's self in endeavouring
to get sinners to start on this noble career of self-elevation, and to rejoice
when in any instance he had succeeded.
But it is one thing to have correct theories, and another to put them
into practice . . . So they found fault with One (Jesus) who not only held this
view as an abstract doctrine, but acted on it, and sought to bring those who
had strayed furthest from the paths of righteousness to repentance, believing
that, though last, they might yet be first." [18]
In depth: Does the
parable intend to teach that all the lost will
be found [3]? The point sometimes made in applying this
language that in all cases the lost must be found, and that the
search will never cease until they be found is not warranted by other
Scriptures nor required in this. (See for
example chapter 13:34, 35). But in order
to bring out and exhibit the joys resulting from the finding, it was essential
to the completeness of the parabolic representation that the owner
should continue to seek until he found it.
If the parable meant to imply that there was a preordained certainty of
finding all, there would of course be no special occasion for joy in the
finding of one. The fact of the
joy, therefore, indicates the contingency and uncertainty of the seeking.
15:5 Translations
Weymouth: And when he has found it, he lifts it on his shoulder, glad
at heart.
WEB: When he
has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Young’s: and having found, he doth lay it on his
shoulders rejoicing,
Conte (RC): And when he has found
it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
15:5 And when he hath found it. Hence the search is
ultimately successful. [rw]
he layeth it on his shoulders. Literally, “his own shoulders.” [56]
A familiar
practice with shepherds when the creature is sick, fatigued, or in any way
unable to travel on its own feet. [52]
rejoicing. Alike in the retrieval of his own loss, and in the rescue of his sheep
from danger and distress. [52]
All anger
against the folly of the wanderer is swallowed up in love, and joy at its
recovery. “He bare our sins in His own
body,” 1 Peter 2:24. We have the same
metaphor in the Psalm of the shepherd king (Psalm cxix.
176; compare Isaiah liii. 6; John 10:11), and in the
letter of the Apostle, to whom had been addressed the words, “Feed my sheep,” 1
Peter 2:25. This verse supplied a favourite subject for the simple and joyous art of the
catacombs. Tertullian,
De Pudic. 7.
[56]
15:6 Translations
Weymouth: Then coming
home he calls his friends and neighbours together,
and says, 'Congratulate me, for I have found my sheep--the one I had lost.'
WEB: When he
comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them,
'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
Young’s: and having come to the house, he doth
call together the friends and the neighbours, saying
to them, Rejoice with me, because I found my sheep -- the lost one.
Conte (RC): And returning home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: 'Congratulate me! For I have found my sheep, which had been lost.'
15:6 And when he cometh home. Evidently bringing the
sheep thither, which he will not trust again readily to the risks of the
wilderness. [52]
he calleth together his friends and neighbours. Those
he would have most interest in sharing the good news with. [rw]
saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have
found my sheep which was lost. Why
should they celebrate? For one thing
they could just as easily be in the same situation. What happened to him today,
could easily happen to them next week.
Indeed, unwillingness to share the joy of success of one’s neighbor
should make you question whether you are much of a neighbor or “friend” in the
first place. [rw]
15:7 Translations
Weymouth: I tell you
that in the same way there will be rejoicing in Heaven over one repentant
sinner--more rejoicing than over ninety-nine blameless persons who have no need
of repentance.
WEB: I tell
you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents,
than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
Young’s: 'I say to you, that so joy shall be in
the heaven over one sinner reforming, rather than over ninety-nine righteous
men, who have no need of reformation.
Conte (RC): I say to you, that
there will be so much more joy in heaven over one sinner repenting, than over
the ninety-nine just, who do not need to repent.
15:7 I say unto you, that likewise. The unspoken logic is that if mere
mortals—subject to error in so many ways—know to respond to the joy and success
of others, that on the heavenly plane the same is true as well. [rw]
joy shall be in
heaven. Among
the angels of God. Compare Luke
15:10. They see the guilt and danger of people; they
know what God has done for the race, and they rejoice at the recovery of any
from the guilt and ruins of sin. [11]
over one
sinner that repenteth. The active
side of conversion, that is, what a man himself must do in response to the
divine love which seeks him, could not be exhibited in the parable but is
carefully portrayed in the application.
The lost sheep is passive, but the lost sinner is not
really “found” until he repents. [3]
more than over
ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. It isn’t that being “just” is being
overlooked or not credited with all it deserves. Rather the joy is appropriate and needed
because one who needs to become exactly that has finally done so. He or she has now accomplished what these
others have already done. [rw]
See verse
32. The “Pharisees and scribes” in an
external sense were “just persons,” for as a class their lives were
regular, though we learn from Josephus and the Talmud that many individuals
among them were guilty of flagrant sins.
But that our Lord uses the description with a holy irony is seen from
the parable of the Pharisee and the publican (see 18:9). They trust in themselves that they were
righteous, and despised others. They did
need repentance, but did not want it. It was a fixed notion that God had “not
appointed repentance to the just, and to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, which
have not sinned against thee” (Prayer of Manasses). [56]
15:8 Translations
Weymouth: "Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one of them,
does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully till she finds
it?
WEB: Or what
woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn't
light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it?
Young’s: 'Or what woman having ten drachms, if she
may lose one drachma, doth not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek
carefully till that she may find?
Conte (RC): Or what woman,
having ten drachmas, if she will have lost one drachma, would not light a candle,
and sweep the house, and diligently search until she finds it?
15:8 Either. It was a
custom with Christ thus to duplicate parables illustrative of one main truth
(5:36-39; 13:19-21), with only incidental differences. Here He may have desired to bring home to the
hearts of women the intensity of Divine love toward the ruined and wretched by
an illustration drawn from their own sphere.
[52]
what woman. i.e., any woman of the implied
economic background would act this way.
It is a universal reaction of the poor to financial loss that
they have the potential to rectify themselves.
[rw]
having ten
pieces of silver. “The piece of silver” was the Greek drachma,
the Roman denarius. This amount would be more, proportionally, to
a poor woman, than the one sheep to the shepherd [in the previous
parable]. [52]
Each
represented a day’s wages. These small
silver coins were worn by women as a sort of ornamental fringe around the
forehead (the semedi). [56]
if she lose
one piece.
The loss might seem less trying than that of a sheep, but (1) in
this case it is a tenth (not a hundredth) part of what the woman
possesses; and (2) the coin has on it the image and superscription of a king
(Genesis 1:27; Matthew 22:20). [56]
doth not light
a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? These are
actions parallel to the hard and patient exploration of the shepherd through
the wilderness, and are equally natural, considering that the house would be
dark—without glazed windows and probably with no floor but the trodden
earth. [52]
We should notice the
thorough and deliberate method of the search.
Some see in the woman a picture of the Church, and give a separate
meaning to each particular; but “if we should attribute to every single word a
deeper significance than appears, we should not seldom incur the danger of
bringing much into Scripture which is not at all contained in it.” --Zimmermann.
[56]
15:9 Translations
Weymouth: And when she has found it, she calls together her friends
and neighbours, and says, "'Congratulate me, for
I have found the coin which I had lost.'
WEB: When she
has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice
with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.'
Young’s: and having found, she doth call together
the female friends and the neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, for I found the drachm
that I lost.
Conte (RC): And when she has
found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying: 'Rejoice with
me! For I have found the drachma, which I had lost.'
15:9 And when she hath found it. Not all searches are successful—in 2013 they are finally fairly sure
they have verified where Amelia Earnhart crashed in
the Pacific in the 1930s!—but some are concluded after intense but relatively
short effort. The searcher here does not
smile and go about her business; what has been found is far too important to
her to do just that. [rw]
she calleth her friends. Female friends, for the noun is used in the
feminine form. [2]
and her neighbours together. Distinguishing between
“friends” and “neighbours.” The
stress is on her “friends” (since they are mentioned first) since they will be
the ones with the greatest interest, but even her “neighbours”
who have no great liking for her will surely be nodding their heads in passing
pleasure that something as important as this has finally been found. [rw]
Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece. It was not done for her and she
herself was able to accomplish it after persistent effort. [rw]
Aside:
She does not say “my piece.” If
the woman be intended to represent the Church, the lost of the “piece”
entrusted to her may be in part, at least, her own fault. [56]
which I had lost. Through her own carelessness. Of the sheep, Jesus says "was lost."
"A sheep strays of itself, but a
piece of money could only be lost by a certain negligence on the part of such
as should have kept it" (Trench). In
the one case, the attention is fastened on the condition of the thing lost; in
the other, upon the sorrow of the one who has lost. [2]
15:10 Translations
Weymouth: "I tell
you that in the same way there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of
God over one repentant sinner."
WEB: Even so,
I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
repenting."
Young’s: 'So I say to you, joy doth come before
the messengers of God over one sinner reforming.'
Conte (RC): So I say to you,
there will be joy before the Angels of God over even one sinner who is
repentant."
15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. By thus
reaffirming the heavenly joy (Luke 15:7), Jesus sought
to shame the Pharisees out of their cold-blooded murmuring (Luke 15:2). [53]
“I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and
live.” Ezekiel 33:11. [56]
one sinner. God does not grant salvation to groups, but
to individuals. Hence every single
individual who sits their life aright is joyously accepted by God as the
latest addition to His ever expanding kingdom.
[rw]
15:11 Translations
Weyouth: He
went on to say, "There was a man who had two sons.
WEB: He said,
"A certain man had two sons.
Young’s: And he said, 'A certain man had two sons,
Conte (RC): And he said: "A
certain man had two sons.
15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons. These two
sons represent the professedly religious (the elder) and the openly irreligious
(the younger). They have special reference to the two parties found in Luke
15:1, 2--the publicans and sinners, and the Pharisees. [53]
Or: The
primary applications of this divine parable,--which is peculiar to Luke, and
would alone have added inestimable value to his Gospel—are (1) to the Pharisees
and the “sinners”—i.e., to the professedly religious, and the openly
irreligious classes; and (2) to the Jews and Gentiles. This latter application however only lies indirectly
in the parable, and it is doubtful whether it would have occurred consciously
to those who heard it. This is the Evangelium in Evangelio. How much it soars above the conceptions of
Christians, even after hundreds of years of Christianity, is shewn by the “elder-brotherly spirit” which has so often
been manifested (e.g. by Tertullian and all like him)
in narrowing its interpretation. [56]
15:12 Translations
Weymouth: The younger of them said to his father, "'Father, give
me the share of the property that comes to me.' "So he divided his wealth
between them.
WEB: The
younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of your
property.' He divided his livelihood between them.
Young’s: and the younger of them said to the
father, Father, give me the portion of the substance falling to me, and he
divided to them the living.
Conte (RC): And the younger of
them said to the father, 'Father, give me the portion of your estate which
would go to me.' And he divided the estate between them.
15:12 And the younger of them said
to his father.
Unwilling to wait until the most
appropriate time, he is impatient. Not
just to get his hands on “cold hard cash” but to get as far away from home as
he can. He is, of course, operating
under the delusion that this will guarantee his happiness. He is thoroughly blind to the reality that we
can make our life miserable no matter where we are. That he is about to learn
the long, hard, painful way. [rw]
Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. According to the Jewish law of
inheritance, if there were but two sons, the elder would receive two portions,
the younger the third of all movable property. A man might, during his
lifetime, dispose of all his property by gift as he chose. If the share of younger children was to be
diminished by gift or taken away, the disposition must be made by a person
presumably near death. No one in good
health could diminish, except by gift, the legal portion of a younger son. The younger son thus was entitled by law to
his share, though he had no right to claim it during his father's lifetime. The request must be regarded as asking a favor
(Edersheim). [2]
And he divided unto them his living. “Living” is
the same as “goods,” or, “property,” in the previous sentence, only thought of
here as the basis of a livelihood. As we
see later that the father is still at the head of the place (verses 22, 31), we
understand that the partition to the elder brother was only provisional;
allowing to him the income, perhaps, above the father’s support, until his
death. God does not constrain men to
what is best for them, at the sacrifice of their freedom. [52]
15:13 Translations
Weymouth: No long time
afterwards the younger son got all together and travelled
to a distant country, where he wasted his money in debauchery and excess.
WEB: Not many
days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a
far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.
Young’s: 'And not many days after, having gathered
all together, the younger son went abroad to a far country, and there he
scattered his substance, living riotously;
Conte (RC): And after not many
days, the younger son, gathering it all together, set out on a long journey to
a distant region. And there, he dissipated his substance, living in luxury.
15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all
together, and took his journey. Having
made his decision, he was not going to waste any time carrying it out. One can easily imagine critical words from
his older brother and odd looks from the servants. [rw]
into a far
country. A country far off from his
father's house. He went probably to trade or to seek his fortune, and in
his wanderings came at last to this dissipated place, where his property was
soon expended. [11]
The Gentiles soon became
“afar off” from God (Acts 2:39; Ephesians 2:17), “aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and
without God in the world.”—So too the individual soul, in its temptations and
its guiltiness, ever tries in vain to escape from God (Psalms cxxxix. 7-10) into the “far country” of sin, which involves
forgetfulness of Him. Jerome, Epistle
146. Thus the younger son becomes “Lord
of himself, that heritage of woe.” [56]
and there
wasted his substance. Some
people spend their money to make more money.
Yet others spend money on anything and everything they wish, giving no
thought to the possibility that one day there will be nothing left. Assuming that he was more or less “working”
at some trade during all of this, even if he was making any profit it
was more than eliminated by that which he lost through his behavior, which is
described as being “with riotous living.”
[rw]
with riotous
living. Literally, “living ruinously”—asotos. The
adverb occurs here only, and is derived from a “not,” and “I save.” The substantive occurs in 1 Peter 4:4;
Ephesians 5:18. Aristotle defines asotia as a mixture of intemperance and
prodigality. For the historical
fact indicated, see Romans 1:19-32. The individual
fact needs, alas! no
illustration. One phrase—two words—is
enough. Our loving Saviour
does not dwell upon, or darken the details, of our sinfulness. [56]
15:14 Translations
Weymouth: At last, when he had spent everything, there came a terrible
famine throughout that country, and he began to feel the pinch of want.
WEB: When he
had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country,
and he began to be in need.
Young’s: and he having spent all, there came a
mighty famine on that country, and himself began to be in want;
Conte (RC): And after he had
consumed it all, a great famine occurred in that region, and he began to be in
need.
15:14 And when he had spent all.
He’s dead broke, penniless. He already has it bad; now he’s about to see
his situation turn into a nightmare. [rw]
there arose a
mighty famine in that land. Famines were common in Eastern nations. They
were caused by the failure of the crops--by a want of timely rains, a genial
sun, or sometimes by the prevalence of the plague or of the pestilence, which
swept off numbers of the inhabitants. [11]
Interpreting the disaster as caused by other problems: The
"mighty famine" may be understood to represent difficult times. War or political convulsions, so common in
those days, may have speedily brought about the ruin of many like the prodigal
of our story, and his comparatively small fortune would quickly have been
swallowed up. [18]
God has given him his
heart’s desire and sent leanness withal into his bones. The worst famine of all is “not a famine of
bread or a thirst of water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11);
and in such a famine even “the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst
(verse 13). “They have forsaken me the
fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns; broken cisterns, that
can hold no water,” Jeremiah 2:13. [56]
and he began to be in want. In
spite of being penniless he was able to continue, for a while, doing enough day
labor—and relying upon occasional charity?—to somehow get by. But now those options were becoming erratic
in their success and he was beginning to learn how bad things could become. With the emphasis of “beginning
to learn” for things were going to get a lot worse still. [rw]
15:15 Translations
Weymouth: So he went and
hired himself to one of the inhabitants of that country, who sent him on to his
farm to tend swine;
WEB: He went
and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into
his fields to feed pigs.
Young’s: and having gone on, he joined himself to
one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him to the fields to feed
swine,
Conte (RC): And he went and
attached himself to one of the citizens of that region. And he sent him to his
farm, in order to feed the swine.
15:15 And he went. The
wording argues that he initiated the action.
Others weren’t looking for new workers—after all there was a famine and there
would have been a problem of too many workers for the amount of labor
that needed to be performed. In this
labor surplus situation the odds were against him but he, at least seemingly, had
overcame them.
(Though it turned out he hadn’t done as much good for himself as he
thought.) [rw]
and joined
himself. The verb means to glue or cement. Very
expressive here, implying that he forced himself upon the citizen, who was
unwilling to engage him, and who took him into service only upon persistent
entreaty. "The unhappy wretch is a sort of appendage to a strange
personality" (Godet). [2]
to a citizen
of that country. Symbolic/sermonic
application of the language:
By “the citizen of the far country” is indicated either men hopelessly
corrupt and worldly; or perhaps the powers of evil. We observe that in this far-off land, the
Prodigal, with all his banquets and his lavishness, has not gained a single friend. Sin never forms a real bond of pity and
sympathy. The cry of tempters and
accomplices ever is, “What is that to us?
See thou to that.” [56]
and he sent
him into his fields to feed swine. As he had received him reluctantly, so he
gave him the meanest [worst] possible employment. An ignominious occupation,
especially in Jewish eyes. The keeping of swine was prohibited to Israelites
under a curse. [2]
The intensity of this
climax could only be duly felt by Jews, who had such a loathing and abhorrence
for swine that they would not even name them, but spoke of a pig as dabhar acheer, “the
other thing.” [56]
15:16 Translations
Weymouth: and he longed
to make a hearty meal of the pods the swine were eating, but no one gave him
any.
WEB: He wanted
to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.
Young’s: and
he was desirous to fill his belly
from the husks that the swine were eating, and
no one was giving to him.
Conte (RC): And he wanted to
fill his belly with
the scraps that the swine ate. But no one
would
give it to him.
15:16 And he
would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat. “Husks”
gives the effect intended, but does not translate the Greek word; that
designates the fruit of a tree common about the eastern end of the
Mediterranean, called the carob tree.
They contain a slight amount of coarse nutriment,
and, in lack of better provender, are sometimes fed to cattle and swine, and
are even eaten, in extreme need, by the poorest people. This distressed man, apparently, did not
regard them as suited to satisfy the appetite, still less as able to afford real
nourishment; but would have crammed his belly with them to assuage the gnawings of hunger. [52]
and no man
gave unto him. Some have understood this as meaning "no
one gave him anything--any bread or provisions;" but the connection
requires us to understand it of the "husks." He did not go a begging--his master was bound
to provide for his wants; but the provision which he made for him was so poor
that he would have preferred the food of the swine. He desired a portion of "their
food," but that was not given him. A
certain quantity was measured out for "them," and "he" was
not at liberty to eat it himself. Nothing
could more strikingly show his deep degradation. [11]
15:17 Translations
Weymouth: "But on
coming to himself he said, "'How many of my father's hired men have more
bread than they want, while I here am dying of hunger!
WEB: But when
he came to himself he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread
enough to spare, and I'm dying with hunger!
Young’s: 'And having come to himself, he said, How many hirelings of my father have a superabundance of
bread, and I here with hunger am perishing!
Conte (RC): And returning to his
senses, he said: 'How many hired hands in my father's house have abundant
bread, while I perish here in famine!
15:17 And when
he came to himself. All sin is insanity; all wickedness is
madness. A wicked man is not
himself. He has lost self-control; all
his best memories have been darkened or forgotten; and he is no longer to be
counted a sane man in the true and proper sense of that term. Wickedness blinds the intellectual faculties,
disorders a man's vision--spiritual, intellectual, moral; gives him exaggerated
notions of all other persons and
things. [49]
he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread
enough and to spare. However
out of place he had felt at home (and we are provided no indication of the
reason for it), it was still better than the situation he now
faced. Desperation forced him to rise
above his own prejudices and self-centeredness.
[rw]
and I perish
with hunger! A most pitiful end, and shameful, surely, if it can be avoided, to
perish here, in this estrangement from my father; in rags, debasement,
and the contempt of strangers. [52]
15:18 Translations
Weymouth: I will rise
and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven
and before you:
WEB: I will
get up and go to my father, and will tell him, "Father, I have sinned
against heaven, and in your sight.
Young’s: having risen, I will go on unto my
father, and will say to him, Father, I did sin -- to the heaven, and before
thee,
Conte (RC): I shall rise up and
go to my father, and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you.
15:18 I
will arise and go to my father. The youth in the parable had loved his father
and would not doubt about his father’s love; and in the region which the
parable shadows forth, the mercy of God to the returning penitent has always
been abundantly promised. Isaiah lv. 7; Jeremiah 3:12; Hosea 14:1,
2, etc.; and throughout the whole New Testament. [56]
Perhaps I am too much a cynic, but I hesitate to affirm that the
parable is telling us that the son “had loved his father.” At the very least, however, he clearly respected
his father and his willingness to forgive.
Not every parent would—there is such a thing as “burning all the
bridges.” Yet he knew enough of his
father’s past record of behavior that he felt confident that he would accept
his return (instead of turning him away) and find something useful for him to
do to provide for himself at least on the level of a simple employee. He had no ground on which to expect anything
more after his outrageous behavior. But that
much he was absolutely sure of. [rw]
and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven,
and before thee. He does
not whitewash his behavior. He did not
make a mere “mistake.” He did not act
“immaturely.” He had “failed to think it
out.” He is brutally honest about
himself: “I have sinned.” He is ready to make the step that separates
the deluded from the forgiven. [rw]
15:19 Translations
Weymouth: I no longer
deserve to be called a son of yours: treat me as one of your hired men.'
WEB: I am no
more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired
servants."'
Young’s: and no more am I worthy to be called thy
son; make me as one of thy hirelings.
Conte (RC): I am not worthy to
be called your son. Make me one of your hired hands.'
15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son. The humility
of his confession indicates that the phrase "riotous living" (Luke
15:13) means more than merely a reckless expenditure of money. [53]
make me as one of thy hired servants. Of course he can never be anything less than
a son but he can plead to be treated on a level with the hired
servants. He makes no attempt to use the
sonship to wedge himself
back into the family; he simply seeks the mercy of being treated like a paid
employee. [rw]
15:20 Translations
Weymouth: "So he
rose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father
saw him and pitied him, and ran and threw his arms round his neck and kissed
him tenderly.
WEB: "He
arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw
him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed
him.
Young’s: 'And having risen, he went unto his own
father, and he being yet far distant, his father saw him, and was moved with
compassion, and having ran he fell upon his neck and kissed him;
Conte (RC): And rising up, he
went to his father. But while he was still at a distance, his father saw him,
and he was moved with compassion, and running to him, he fell upon his neck and
kissed him.
15:20 And he arose and came to his father. Repentance
is here pictured as a journey. It is
more than a mere emotion or impulse. [53]
But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him. As if he had
never ceased expecting that the son would become wiser, and return to the
father’s roof, he was perpetually on the watch.
As soon, apparently, as he had come within the range of vision, the
father recognized the child. [52]
and had compassion. Seeing his ragged, pitiable condition. [53]
and ran. Notwithstanding his age and paternal dignity. [52]
and fell on
his neck and kissed him. This was a sign at once of affection and
reconciliation. (A kiss is a sign of affection, 1 Samuel 10:1; Genesis
29:13.) This must at once have
dissipated every doubt of the son about the willingness of his father to
forgive and receive him. [11]
15:21 Translations
Weymouth: "'Father,'
cried the son, 'I have sinned against Heaven and before you: no longer do I
deserve to be called a son of yours.'
WEB: The son
said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no
longer worthy to be called your son.'
Young’s: and the son said to him, Father, I did
sin -- to the heaven, and before thee, and no more am I worthy to be called thy
son.
Conte (RC): And the son said to
him: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. Now I am not worthy
to be called your son.'
15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned. Like a true
penitent he grieves not for what he has lost, but for what he has done. Here again the language of David furnishes
the truest and most touching comment, “I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and
mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I
will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest
the iniquity of my sin,” Psalms 32:5.
The Prodigal’s penitence is not mere remorse or sorrow for
punishment. [56]
against heaven. Rendered by some “unto heaven,” as though the magnitude of his
iniquity was to be represented as towering even to heaven and filling all the
intervening space. But, rather,
heaven as the abode of God and angels and all that is holy,
is personified, and sin is thought of as a violation of its will and spirit and
example. (Meyer) [52]
and in thy sight. You
know I have sinned; you aren’t blind to it.
I’m not asking you to be. Which translates into the unsaid words: “I know I have sinned against both God and you. Forgive me—please.” [rw]
and am
no more worthy to be called thy son. You
have acted in an honorable and forthright manner. I have not.
You have acted in the way a father should be willing to act, but I
have failed to act as a son should. The
moral/ethical quality inherent in a sonship
relationship I have lost due to my thickheadedness
and my behavior. [rw]
In depth: Should the
words “make me as one of thy hired servants” be added here (their presence in
verse 19 being unquestioned) [52]? Westcott and Hort
add, “make me as one of thy hired servants,” whether
rightly the text critics must decide.
The sentence is found in the three most important manuscripts of this
passage, with other uncials, which are supported by various auxiliary
authorities. Against it are the greater number of uncials, with many subsidiary
authorities.
What seems to
have contributed largely to its exclusion from most critical texts is the fact
that Augustine, not finding it in his copies, has, in his comments on the
verse, show such beautiful reasons for the omission, compared with verse 19,
that we feel that the prodigal ought not to have repeated these words to his
father. It is easy to see, however, what
propriety the Latin Father might have discovered in them, had he been familiar
with one of the early texts in which they were found.
If we
understand that sentence not to have been spoken here, the better explanation
of the omission is that the father was too eager, in his joy, to hear more of [the]
confession.
15:22 Translations
Weymouth: "But the
father said to his servants, "'Fetch a good coat quickly--the best
one--and put it on him; and bring a ring for his finger and shoes for his feet.
WEB: "But
the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe, and put it on him.
Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
Young’s: 'And the father said unto his servants,
Bring forth the first robe, and clothe him, and give a ring for his hand, and
sandals for the feet;
Conte (RC): But the father said
to his servants: 'Quickly! Bring out the best robe, and clothe him with it. And
put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.
15:22 But
the father said to his servants. It is as though he had purposely cut short
the humble self-reproaching words of shame which would have entreated him to
make his lost son like one of his hired servants. “While they are yet speaking, I will hear,”
Isaiah lxv. 24.
[56]
Bring forth the best robe. The one best suited to denote love and
honor. [52]
Compare the remarkable
scene of taking away the filthy rags from the High Priest Joshua, and clothing
him with change of raiment, in Zechariah 3:1-10. It is literally “the first robe” and
some have explained it of the robe he used to wear at home—the former
robe. [56]
and put it on him. Serve as his
dresser. Another sign
of being fully restored into the family without any grudge or resentment. [rw]
and put a ring
on his hand. To "give" a ring was a mark of
favor, or of affection, or of conferring office. Compare Genesis 41:42; Esther 8:2. Here it was expressive of the
"favor" and affection of the father.
[11]
and shoes on
his feet. Both the ring and the shoes are marks of a
free man. Slaves went barefoot. [2]
The reference shows us how flat out, totally destitute he was: he could not even afford a pair of sandals
for his extremely long walk back home. [rw]
In depth: Sermonic
expansions of the language that may make an effective lesson but were unlikely
to be part of Jesus’ original intent when He spoke the words [56].
Some have given special and separate significance to the best robe, as
corresponding to the “wedding garment,” the robe of Christ’s righteousness
(Philippians 3:9); and have identified the seal-ring with Baptism (Ephesians
1:13, 14); and the shoes with the preparation of the Gospel of peace (Ephesians
6:15; Zechariah 10:12); and in the next verse have seen in the “fatted calf” an
allusion to the Sacrifice of Christ, or the Eucharist. Such applications are pious and instructive
afterthoughts, though the latter is as old as Irenaeus;
but it is doubtful whether the elaboration of them does not weaken the impressive
grandeur and unity of the parable, as revealing the love of God even to His
erring children. We must not confuse Parable
with Allegory. The one dominant
meaning of the parable is that God loved us even while we were dead in sins,
Ephesians 2:1, 5. [56]
15:23 Translations
Weymouth: Fetch the fat
calf and kill it, and let us feast and enjoy ourselves;
WEB: Bring the
fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate;
Young’s: and having brought the fatted calf, kill
it, and having eaten, we may be merry,
Conte (RC): And bring the fatted
calf here, and kill it. And let us eat and hold a feast.
15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf. The fatted
calf, according to Eastern custom, was held in readiness for some great
occasion (Genesis 18:7; 1 Samuel 28:24; 2 Samuel 6:13), and with some the
custom still exists. [53]
There was a custom in
the large Palestinian farms that always a calf should be fattening ready for
festal occasions. [18]
The Greek word is used
also for a heifer, or young bullock, of greater age than we mean by
“calf.” The article points to a
definite, well-known animal, kept for a special feast, perhaps in hope of this
very occasion. [52]
and kill it. The verb
translated kill is specifically appropriate to the idea of “sacrifice.” We cannot consistently suppose that it was
used fully in that sense here, but when the father says “sacrifice it,”
his feeling reaches after something more interesting and solemn than an
ordinary meal. [52]
and let us eat, and be merry. No
neighbors or friends are mentioned so, presumably, the father has in mind the
general household: A member of it has
now “returned to the fold.” Who better
to have a feast and rejoice than the members of that household, however
important or insignificant? [rw]
15:24 Translations
Weymouth: for my son
here was dead and has come to life again: he was lost and has been found.'
"And they began to be merry.
WEB: for this,
my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.' They began to
celebrate.
Young’s: because this my son was dead, and did
live again, and he was lost, and was found; and they
began to be merry.
Conte (RC): For this son of mine
was dead, and has revived; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to feast.
15:24 For this my son was dead. This is capable of two significations: 1. "I supposed" that he was dead,
but I know now that he is alive. 2. He
was "dead to virtue" - he was sunk in pleasure and vice. The word is not unfrequently
thus used. See 1 Timothy 5:6; Matthew
8:22; Romans 6:13. It is probable that
this latter is the meaning here. [11]
Or: Dead
to me, dead to virtue, dead to happiness.
[52]
and is alive
again. The being dead typifies the state of sin and
exposure to eternal punishment (Romans 8:6); and the coming to life is the
entrance upon that state of freedom from sin and service to God, the end of
which is “everlasting life” (Romans 6:22, 23; compare 1 John 3:14). [52]
he was lost, and
is found.
Repeats the thought, and, as would seem, in a way
designed to bring this recovery into the manifest series of the lost sheep and
the lost piece of silver [earlier in this chapter]. [52]
And they began to be merry. This is for the present
parable the parallel to the rejoicing of the shepherd and the woman (verses 8,
9) and has also its counterpart in the joy of God and His angels. [52]
15:25 Translations
Weymouth: "Now his
elder son was out on the farm; and when he returned and came near home, he
heard music and dancing.
WEB: "Now
his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music
and dancing.
Young’s: 'And his elder son was in a field, and
as, coming, he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing,
Conte (RC): But his elder son
was in the field. And when he returned and drew near to the house, he heard
music and dancing.
15:25 Now his elder son was in the field. Toiling in a spirit which he himself, in verse 29, calls “service,”
or, literally, “bond-service,” to his father. [52]
and as he came
and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and
dancing. This was a part of the merry-making of the
household, significant of the joy of pardon; but the tired and joyless
soul of the Pharisee and worker out of his own righteousness, knows nothing of
this. Suspicious, jealous, and destitute
of true [parental] confidence, he does not go to his father in sympathy or for
explanation. [52]
A cautionary note on the dancing? Our Lord expresses no opinion about its
"propriety." He simply states "the fact," nor was there occasion for
comment on it. His mentioning it cannot
be pleaded for its lawfulness or propriety, any more than his mentioning the
vice of the younger son, or the wickedness of the Pharisees, can be pleaded to
justify their conduct. It is an
expressive image, used in accordance with the known customs of the country, to
express joy. It is farther to be
remarked, that if the example of persons in Scripture be pleaded for dancing,
it can be only for just such dances as they practiced--for sacred or
triumphal occasions. [11]
In depth: The
inappropriateness some have found in the second half of the parable [56]. Many have felt a wish that the parable had
ended with the moving and exquisite scene called up by the last words; or have
regarded the remaining verses as practically a separate parable. Such a judgment—not to
speak of its presumption—shews a narrow spirit. We must not forget that the Pharisees no less
than publicans [stood in] need of repentance.
The elder son is still a son, nor any his
faults intrinsically more heinous—though more perilous because more likely to
lead to self-deception—than those of the younger. Self-righteousness is sin as well as
unrighteousness, and may be even a worse sin, Matthew 21:31, 32; but God has
provided for both sins a full Sacrifice and a free forgiveness. [56]
15:26 Translations
Weymouth: Then he called
one of the lads to him and asked what all this meant.
WEB: He called
one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on.
Young’s: and having called near one of the young
men, he was inquiring what these things might be,
Conte (RC): And he called one of
the servants, and he questioned him as to what these things meant.
15:26 And he called one of the servants. Noticeably not his father, the one
who one would have expected to have the fullest and most complete explanation
of what was—clearly unexpectedly—happening.
[rw]
and asked what
these things meant. Cheerfulness and rejoicing were things so
strange in that abode of slavish propriety, that their natural manifestations
were a mystery. [52]
15:27 Translations
Weymouth: "'Your
brother has come,' he replied; 'and your father has had the fat calf killed,
because he has got him home safe and sound.'
WEB: He said
to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf,
because he has received him back safe and healthy.'
Young’s: and he said to him -- Thy brother is
arrived, and thy father did kill the fatted calf, because in health he did
receive him back.
Conte (RC): And he said to him:
'Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because
he has received him safely.'
15:27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father
hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. The servant
told him all he knew; the change in the brother’s character would not come
within his range of notice. [52]
15:28 Translations
Weymouth: "Then he
was angry and would not go in. But his father came out and entreated him.
WEB: But he
was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him.
Young’s: 'And he was angry, and would not go in,
therefore his father, having come forth, was entreating him;
Conte (RC): Then he became
indignant, and he was unwilling to enter. Therefore, his father, going out,
began to plead with him.
15:28 And he was angry, and would not go in. The impulse
of a natural fraternal affection would have been to rush in and signify delight
at the wanderer’s safe return. But this
man’s conduct was like that of the Pharisees toward the publicans whom Christ
won to His kingdom. His base feeling
partook of vexation that favor should be shown to an unworthy member of the
family, a grudging of joy to others in which he could not sympathize, and
grumbling for the consumption of property which would be only a loss to
him. He would have nothing to do with it
all. [52]
therefore came
his father out. He might justly have left him sulking to his
own damage, yet he symbolizes God in his universal kindness, desiring the
salvation of Pharisee as well as publican.
[52]
and intreated [pleaded with, NKJV] him. We may
imagine the arguments by which he would try to induce the reluctant spirit to
join the festive company within. [52]
15:29 Translations
Weymouth: "'All
these years,' replied the son, 'I have been slaving for you, and I have never
at any time disobeyed any of your orders, and yet you have never given me so
much as a kid, for me to enjoy myself with my friends;
WEB: But he
answered his father, 'Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never
disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat,
that I might celebrate with my friends.
Young’s: and he answering said to the father, Lo,
so many years I do serve thee, and never thy command did I transgress, and to
me thou didst never give a kid, that with my friends I might make merry;
Conte (RC): And in response, he
said to his father: 'Behold, I have been serving you for so many years. And I
have never transgressed your commandment. And yet, you have never given me even
a young goat, so that I might feast with my friends.
15:29 And he answering said to his father. It is
evident from Luke 15:12, that the father gave him his portion when his
profligate brother claimed his; for he divided his whole substance between
them. And though he had not claimed it, so as to separate from, and live
independently of, his father, yet he might have done so whenever he chose; and
therefore his complaining was both undutiful and unjust. [1]
Lo, these many years. “Many
years:” Hence
we are talking of an extended period of time.
He has a well established, long-term pattern of behavior. In a very real sense he is “pouting:” “I deserved better than this!” What he doesn’t say is
fascinating: There is no mention of his
ever asking for such a special gift.
There is no mention of something happening that brought such great joy
that such a feast should have been given—but the father passed by the
opportunity. Only then might he have had
a legitimate complaint. [rw]
do I serve
thee. Rather, “I am thy slave.” He does not say “Father:” and evidently regards the yoke not as
perfect freedom but as distasteful bondage.
The slave is ever dissatisfied; and this son worked in the spirit of a
“hired-servant.” [56]
neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment. We have here
reproduced the spirit, almost the very words, of the well-known answer of the
young man in the gospel story, who was no doubt a promising scion of the
Pharisee party: "All these things
have I kept from my youth up." The
same thought was in the mind, too, of him who thus prayed in the temple: "God, I thank thee that I am not as
other men are," etc. (Luke 18:11, 12).
[18]
and yet thou
never gavest me a kid. To say nothing of a calf or heifer. His selfishness and jealousy appear in his
emphasis on “me:” to “me, thou never gavest.” [52]
that I might make
merry with my friends. Honest and virtuous people, as they are. [52]
It sounds like the elder son had been just as disgruntled with things
as the younger one, but had simply “kept his mouth shut” rather than say
anything. Is this why bitterness had so
rotted out his heart that he reacts so harshly?
Without even taking time to learn that the younger had not even
attempted to return as kin, but simply as paid servant? [rw]
15:30 Translations
Weymouth: but now that
this son of yours is come who has eaten up your property among his bad women,
you have killed the fat calf for him.'
WEB: But when
this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes,
you killed the fattened calf for him.'
Young’s: but when thy son -- this one who did
devour thy living with harlots -- came, thou didst kill to him the fatted calf.
Conte (RC): Yet after this son
of yours returned, who has devoured his substance with loose women, you have
killed the fatted calf for him.'
15:30 But
as soon as this thy son was come. Every syllable breathes rancour. He disowns all brotherhood [“thy son,”
not “my brother”]; and says “came” not “returned,” and tries to
wake his father’s anger by saying “thy living,” and malignantly
represents the conduct of his erring brother in the blackest light. [56]
which hath
devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. The loss of
the property evidently offends him as much as the vice. And observe that it is a brother’s comment
which alone informs us, specifically, of this most degraded trait of the
prodigal’s excess, even if it were true, and necessarily involved in the charge
of “riotous living.” [52]
15:31 Translations
Weymouth: "'You my
dear son,' said the father, 'are always with me, and all that is mine is also
yours.
WEB: "He
said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
Young’s: 'And he said to him, Child, thou art
always with me, and all my things are thine;
Conte (RC): But he said to him:
'Son, you are with me always, and all that I have is yours.
15:31 And he said unto him, Son. The Greek is “child,” a term of more tender
affection. The father’s impartial love
has regard for both. [52]
Thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
This is an answer to the objection that no special exhibitions of favor
had been made to the elder son. There
had been no occasion for them; he had shared in the daily abundance of the
father’s house. There had been no room
for them; he was always there, and the celebration of a return could only be
made when there had been a departure.
The Saviour does not, in this connection, pass
judgment on the question whether the Pharisees, represented by the elder son,
were as righteous as they claimed to be (verse 29). [52]
Religionists
of the Elder-brother type cannot realize the truth that they are not
impoverished by the extension to others of God’s riches (Matthew 20:14). Let us hope that after this appeal the elder
son also went in. [56]
15:32 Translations
Weymouth: We are bound
to make merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has come back
to life, he was lost and has been found.'"
WEB: But it
was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and
is alive again. He was lost, and is found.'"
Young’s: but to be merry, and to be glad, it was
needful, because this thy brother was dead, and did
live again, he was lost, and was found.'
Conte (RC): But it was necessary
to feast and to rejoice. For this brother of yours was dead, and has revived;
he was lost, and is found.' "
15:32 It was meet that
we should make merry, and be glad. This emphasizes the duty of joy and
gladness, as opposed to the sullen moroseness of the elder son. Joy and mirth are appropriate and pleasing in
the sight of God on fit [appropriate] occasions; and the bringing up of the
outcast, the lost, to peace and virtue, is eminently a fit occasion. [52]
for thy
brother. For he is thy
brother, and I thy Father, though thou wouldest
refuse this name to him, and didst not address that title to me. [56]
was dead, and is
alive again. Alive in his soul, in his
conscience, in his reason, in his sense of right; alive in his
broken-heartedness. That is the
point at which true life begins. [49]
and was lost, and is found. His
moral compass had been busted and he wandered throughout the jungles of
rebellion and sin, but now had found the road back to rationality and just
behavior. [rw]
In
depth: The direct applications of the prodigal
son parable [52]. Some have interpreted this parable as indicating
the Jewish nation by the elder son and the Gentiles by the younger. Doubtless, we can apply it, in several
particulars, to the contrast between these two sections of mankind; but its
primary reference was, clearly, as pointed out above. And on the principle that every Scripture is
applicable to all men, in proportion as they are such as those
originally addressed by it, we may find it true of every sin-sick, repenting,
believing soul, over against the worldly, hard, impenitent, self-sufficient neighbor,
who feels no need of repentance and sees no sense in it.
In depth: Overview of
the three parables in this chapter [53]. A comparison of the three preceding parables
brings out many suggestive points, thus:
(1) The first
parable (Luke 15:3-7) illustrates Christ's compassion. A sentient, suffering creature is lost, and
it was bad for "it" that it should be so. Hence it must be sought, though its value is only
one out of a hundred. Man's lost
condition makes him wretched.
(2) The second parable (Luke 15:8-10) shows us
how God values a soul. A lifeless piece
of metal is lost, and while it could not be pitied, it could be valued, and
since its value was one out ten, it was bad for the "owner" that it
should be lost. God looks upon man's
loss as his impoverishment.
(3) The first two parables depict the efforts of
Christ in the salvation of man, or that side of conversion more apparent, so to
speak, to God; while the third (Luke 15:11-32) sets forth the responsive
efforts put forth by man to avail himself of God's salvation-- the side of
conversion more apparent to us. Moreover,
as the parabolic figures become more nearly literal, as we pass from sheep and
coin to son, the values also rise, and instead of one from a hundred, or one
from ten, we have one out of two!
Books Utilized
(with
number code)
1 = Adam Clarke. The New
Testament . . . with a Commentary and
Critical Notes.
Volume I: Matthew to the Acts. Reprint, Nashville,
Tennessee: Abingdon Press.
2 = Marvin R. Vincent. Word Studies in the New Testament. Volume I:
The Synoptic Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, Epistles
of Peter, James,
and Jude. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1887;
1911 printing.
3 = J. S. Lamar. Luke.
[Eugene S. Smith, Publisher; reprint, 1977 (?)]
4 = Charles H. Hall. Notes,
Practical and Expository on the Gospels;
volume two: Luke-John. New York:
Hurd and Houghton, 1856,
1871.
5 = John Kitto.
Daily Bible Illustrations. Volume II:
Evening Series:
The Life and Death of Our Lord. New
York: Robert Carter and
Brothers, 1881.
6 = Thomas M. Lindsay. The Gospel According to St. Luke. Two
volumes. New York: Scribner & Welford,
1887.
7 = W. H. van Doren. A Suggestive Commentary on the New
Testament:
Saint Luke. Two volumes. New York: D. Appleton and Company,
1868.
8 = Melancthon W. Jacobus.
Notes on the Gospels, Critical and
Explanatory: Luke and John. New York:
Robert Carter &
Brothers, 1856; 1872 reprint.
9 = Alfred Nevin.
Popular Expositor of the Gospels and Acts: Luke.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
Ziegler & McCurdy, 1872.
10 = Alfred Nevin.
The Parables of Jesus. Philadelphia:
Presbyterian
Board of Publication, 1881.
11 = Albert Barnes.
"Luke." In Barnes' Notes on the New Testament.
Reprint, Kregel Publications,
1980.
12 = Alexander B. Bruce. The Synoptic Gospels.
In The Expositor's
Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll. Reprint, Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
13 = F. Godet.
A Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke. Translated
from the Second French Edition by E. W. Shalders
and M. D. Cusin.
New York: I. K. Funk &
Company, 1881.
14 = D.D. Whedon.
Commentary on the Gospels:
Luke-John. New
York: Carlton & Lanahan, 1866; 1870 reprint.
15 = Henry Alford. The
Greek Testament. Volume
I: The Four Gospels.
Fifth Edition. London: Rivingtons, 1863.
16 = David Brown. "Luke"
in Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and
David Brown, A
Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the
Old and New Testaments.
Volume II: New Testament. Hartford:
S. S. Scranton Company, no date.
17 = Dr. [no first name provided] MacEvilly. An Exposition of the Gospel
of St. Luke. New York: Benziger Brothers,
1886.
18 = H. D. M. Spence. “Luke.”
In the Pulpit Commentary, edited by H. D.
M. Spence. Reprinted by Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company,
1950.
19 = John Calvin. Commentary on a
Harmony of the Evangelists,
Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Translated by William Pringle. Reprint,
Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company.
20 = Thomas Scott. The Holy Bible
...with Explanatory Notes (and)
Practical Observations. Boston: Crocker and Brewster.
21 = Henry T. Sell. Bible Studies
in the Life of Christ: Historical and
Constructive. New
York: Fleming H. Revell
Company, 1902.
22 = Philip Vollmer. The Modern Student's Life of Christ. New York:
Fleming H. Revell Company, 1912.
23 = Heinrich A. W. Meyer. Critical
and Exegetical Handbook to the
Gospels of Mark and Luke.
Translated from the Fifth German
Edition by Robert Ernest Wallis. N.
Y.: Funk and Wagnalls,
1884; 1893 printing.
24 = John Albert Bengel. Gnomon
of the New Testament. A New
Translation
by Charlton T. Lewis and Marvin R. Vincent.
Volume One. Philadelphia: Perkinpine & Higgins,
1860.
25 = John Cummings. Sabbath
Evening Readers on the New Testa-
ment:
St. Luke. London:Arthur Hall, Virtue & Co,1854.
26 = Walter F. Adeney, editor. The Century Bible: A Modern
Commentary--Luke. New
York: H. Frowdey,
1901. Title page
missing from copy.
27 = Pasquier Quesnel.
The Gospels with Reflections on Each Verse.
Volumes I and II. (Luke
is in part of both). New York: Anson
D. F. Randolph, 1855; 1867 reprint.
28 = Charles R. Erdman. The Gospel
of Luke: An Exposition.
Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1921; 1936 reprint.
29 = Elvira J. Slack. Jesus: The Man of Galilee. New York:
National
Board of the Young Womens
Christian Associations, 1911.
30 = Arthur Ritchie. Spiritual Studies in St. Luke's Gospel. Milwaukee:
The Young Churchman Company, 1906.
31 = Bernhard Weiss. A Commentary on the New Testament. Volume
Two: Luke-The Acts. New York:
Funk & Wagnalls Company,1906.
32 = Matthew Henry. Commentary on the Whole Bible. Volume V:
Matthew to John. 17--. Reprint, New
York: Fleming H. Revell
Company, no date.
33 = C. G. Barth.
The Bible Manual: An
Expository and Practical
Commentary on the Books of Scripture. Second Edition.
London: James Nisbet and Company, 1865.
34 = Nathaniel S. Folsom. The Four
Gospels: Translated . . . and with
Critical and Expository Notes. Third Edition.
Boston: Cupples,
Upham, and Company, 1871; 1885 reprint.
35 = Henry Burton. The Gospel
according to Luke. In the Expositor's
Bible series. New
York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1895.
36 = [Anonymous]. Choice Notes on
the Gospel of S. Luke, Drawn from
Old and New Sources.
London: Macmillan & Company, 1869.
37 = Marcus Dods.
The Parables of Our Lord. New York:
Fleming H.
Revell Company, 18--.
38 = Alfred
Edersheim. The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah.
Second Edition. New
York: Anson D. F. Randolph and Company,
1884.
39 = A. T. Robertson. Luke the Historian in the Light of Research.
New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons, 1920; 1930 reprint.
40 = James R. Gray. Christian
Workers' Commentary on the Old and
New Testaments. Chicago: Bible Institute Colportage Associat-
ion/Fleming H. Revell Company, 1915.
41 = W.
Sanday. Outlines of the Life of Christ. New York:
Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1905.
42 = Halford E. Luccock. Studies in the Parables
of Jesus. New York:
Methodist Book Concern, 1917.
43 = George
H. Hubbard. The
Teaching of Jesus in Parables.
New
York: Pilgrim Press, 1907.
44 = Charles S. Robinson. Studies in Luke's Gospel. Second Series.
New York:American
Tract Society, 1890.
45 = John
Laidlaw. The Miracles of Our Lord. New York:
Funk &
Wagnalls Company, 1892.
46 = William
M. Taylor. The
Miracles of Our Saviour. Fifth Edition.
New York:
A. C. Armstrong & Son, 1890; 1903 reprint.
47 = Alexander
Maclaren. Expositions
of Holy Scripture: St. Luke.
New York: George H. Doran
Company, [no date].
48 = George
MacDonald. The
Miracles of Our Lord. New
York:
George Routledge
& Sons, 1878.
49 = Joseph
Parker. The People's Bibles: Discourses upon Holy Scrip-
ture—Mark-Luke. New
York: Funk & Wagnalls
Company, 18--.
50 = Daniel
Whitby and Moses Lowman. A Critical Commentary and
Paraphrase on the New Testament:
The Four Gospels and the Acts
of the Apostles.
Philadelphia: Carey & Hart,
1846.
51 = Matthew
Poole. Annotations
on the Holy Bible. 1600s.
Computerized.
52 = George
R. Bliss. Luke. In An American Commentary on the New
Testament. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society,
1884.
53 = J.
W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton. The Fourfold Gospel.
1914. Computerized.
54 = John Trapp. Commentary on the Old
and New Testaments. 1654.
Computerized.
55 = Ernest D. Burton and Shailer Matthews. The Life of Christ.
Chicago, Illinois: University of
Chicago Press, 1900; 5th reprint,
1904.
56 = Frederic W. Farrar. The Gospel According to
St. Luke. In “The
Cambridge
Bible for Schools and Colleges” series. Cambridge:
At
the
University Press, 1882.