The Grace Commentary – Your free verse-by-verse Bible commentary Luke 15

Luke 15:1

Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.

(a) Now. Jesus is causing a stir. At the home of a Pharisee, he told the parables of the Places at a Table (Luke 14:8–11) and the Great Banquet (Luke 14:16–24). Now crowds of sinners gather around him, and the Pharisees and scribes begin to grumble. In response, Jesus tells three parables about lost things—the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son.

(b) Tax collectors and sinners. Tax collectors were agents who gathered revenue for the hated Roman occupiers, while sinners were the irreligious and those considered unrighteous (Matt. 9:13).

(c) Coming near. Grace attracts sinners. Those who had been judged as outcasts and pariahs were received by Jesus, and they loved him for it.

Luke 15:2

Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

(a) The Pharisees were members of a devout religious and political movement. Some Pharisees also served on Israel’s ruling council, the Sanhedrin. See entry for Matt. 3:7

(b) The scribes were experts in the law and were sometimes referred to as lawyers (e.g., Luke 7:30). See entry for Matt. 5:20.

(c) Grumble. Like the Israelites who murmured against Moses (e.g., Ex. 15:24), the Pharisees and scribes complained about Jesus. By receiving sinners, they said, he was giving approval to their sinful conduct. This was unacceptable. Jesus was out of line. Sinners are to be shunned, written off, and avoided. Those who are “righteous” ought to have nothing to do with them.

(d) Receives. The original word (prosdechomai) is a strengthened form of the word for “receive” (dechomai). Jesus welcomed and accepted sinners.

(e) Eats with them. To eat with sinners was the greatest scandal of all. To share a table with the unclean was to defile oneself, or so the religious leaders thought.

Luke 15:3

So He told them this parable, saying,

(a) Them. The Pharisees and scribes were grumbling that Jesus received sinners and ate with them (see previous verse). To break bread with sinners was to defile oneself, or so they thought. They did not understand that God loves people, and he makes a special effort to reveal his love to those who have been rejected by society (Luke 19:10). So that they might understand the Father heart of God, Jesus told them three stories about lost things: a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son.

(b) This parable of the lost sheep seems to have been a favorite as Jesus told it on more than one occasion. Here in Luke, the lost sheep refer to those dismissed as “sinners” by the Pharisees and scribes. In Matthew’s Gospel, the parable is told to the disciples, and the lost sheep are “little ones” or straying believers (Matt. 18:12–14).

Luke 15:4

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

(a) What man among you. Jesus engages his listeners with a direct question. The question is ironic because the Pharisees and scribes were not shepherds and may have looked down on shepherding as an uncouth trade. But they were the spiritual shepherds of Israel, and negligent shepherds at that (Jer. 23:1–2, Eze. 34:2–4).

(b) A hundred sheep. To lose one sheep out of a hundred might be considered an acceptable loss, but not to the shepherd in the story. He values every one.

(c) Lost. The sheep is lost because it belongs to the shepherd. In the same way, all who are lost belong to God. He made them, and he sent his Son to save them. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). God does not want any to perish but desires all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4, 1 Pet. 3:9).

(d) The ninety-nine sheep represent those who see themselves as righteous and not in need of rescuing (see Luke 15:7).

(e) Go after the one. God comes looking for us.

The searching shepherd is the central character in the parable. He represents God, and what we learn from the story is that God does not like to lose people. Man-made religion says you have to find God, but the gospel declares God is looking for you. He searches for you because you are valuable to him. You are the sheep worth rescuing, the treasure hidden in a field, and the pearl of great price.

In the Old Testament, God is portrayed as a shepherd (Ps. 23:1, Is. 40:11) who searches for his lost and scattered sheep. “Behold, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out” (Eze. 34:11). In the New Testament, Jesus is revealed as the Good Shepherd who calls his sheep and lays down his life for them (John 10:3, 11). He is the promised Messiah sent by God to find the lost sheep of Israel (Matt. 10:6, 15:24).

(f) Finds it. Just as the shepherd searches until he finds the lost sheep, God will never give up on you. He will never say, “This one is beyond my reach.” And if you have loved ones who seem far from God, rest assured that the Good Shepherd is searching for them and reaching out to them in love.

Luke 15:5

“When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

(a) Shoulders: In the Old Testament, God is portrayed as carrying his people (Deut. 1:31, Ps. 28:9, Is. 40:11, 46:3–4, 63:9). Unlike idols of wood and stone, which are carried on the backs of slaves and acolytes, the Good Shepherd carries us.

(b) Rejoicing. The Good Shepherd does not beat or scold the lost sinner. Instead, he gathers them in his arms, rejoicing that the one who was lost has been found.

Luke 15:6

“And 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!’

(a) Friends and his neighbors. The friends and neighbors represent those who share the Father’s joy at the salvation of the lost, namely, the angels and the saints.

(b) Rejoice with me. “Celebrate with me.”

The grumbling Pharisees and scribes were offended that Jesus was dining with sinners (Luke 15:1–2). A more godly response would be to celebrate what God was doing among these so-called outcasts. Religion shuns sinners, but grace invites all to the Lord’s table of abundance.

Luke 15:7

“I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

(a) Joy in heaven means “God is rejoicing” (see verse 10). Religion often portrays heaven as a misty realm filled with solemn angels strumming harps. But the heaven Jesus described is a place of laughter, joy, and celebration.

(b) Sinner. The word “sinner” could be placed in quotation marks since it was the religious leaders who called them that (Luke 15:2). Jesus referred to them as “lost sheep” and said he had come to save them (Matt. 10:6, 15:24, 18:11).

In describing repentance in terms of a rescued sheep or a discovered coin, Jesus befuddles religious notions of what it means to get right with God. Repentance is not something you do to get right with God; it’s responding to what God has done to draw you to himself.

See entry for Repentance.

(d) Ninety-nine righteous persons. The so-called “righteous” people are those who do not see themselves as sinners in need of saving (Matt. 9:13). They are the Pharisees and scribes who are confident of their own righteousness and who cannot fathom why someone claiming to be the Son of God would receive sinners. Ironically, the ninety-nine are more lost than the one because they do not realize that we are all lost sheep (Is. 53:6).

Luke 15:8

“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

(a) Woman. Jesus, the champion of equality, follows a story about a man searching for sheep with a story about a woman searching for a coin. If Jesus is the shepherd in the first parable, he is the woman in the second.

Putting a woman at the center of his story would have shocked the Pharisees, who daily thanked God that they were not born female. Yet for those raised on the stories of Esther, Miriam, and Ruth, this was not strange at all. In the stories God tells, women have always played prominent roles.

(b) Coin or drachma. A Greek drachma was roughly equal to a Roman denarius and was equivalent to a day’s wage for a laborer (Matt. 20:2). A coin does not lose its value when it is lost.

(c) Lamp and sweep. The woman goes to some trouble to find what was lost. She lights her lamp, gets down in the dark corners, and sweeps away the dust until the coin gleams again. In the same way, the Lord comes down to search for us. He shines the light of the gospel into our darkest corners and sweeps away our sin so that nothing might hinder us from being saved.

Luke 15:9

“When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’

(a) Friends and his neighbors. The friends and neighbors represent those who share the Father’s joy at the salvation of the lost, namely, the angels and the saints.

(b) Rejoice with me; see entry for Luke 15:6.

(c) I had lost. Just as the woman takes responsibility for her lost coin, Jesus takes responsibility for our lostness. He does not wag his finger and say, “They lost themselves” or “It’s their own fault.” Instead, he identifies with us in our lostness and makes things right. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5:21).

(d) Lost. Like the lost sheep, the lost coin is precious because it belongs to someone. In the same way, all who are lost belong to God. He made them, and he sent his Son to save them. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). God does not want any to perish but desires all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4, 1 Pet. 3:9).

Luke 15:10

“In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

(a) Joy… of God. “God is rejoicing.”

(b) Sinner; see entry for Luke 15:7.

The parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin reveal that every person is precious to God and that he will go to great lengths to rescue even the least of us. These stories invite us to see God in a new light—not as one who hides from sinners, but as a shepherd who drops everything to rescue his lost sheep, and as a woman who turns her house upside down to recover a treasured coin. And when he finds us, he does not rebuke us for being lost, but he lifts us up and brings us home to a joyful celebration.

Luke 15:11

And he said, “A man had two sons.

(a) A man. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the third in a series about lost things: a shepherd loses a sheep (Luke 15:4–7), a woman loses a coin (Luke 15:8–10), and here a father loses a son. Or maybe two sons. The younger son leaves home, squanders his inheritance in reckless living, and nearly dies of hunger. The older son stays home and works hard, but when his brother returns and his father welcomes him with joy, he is furious.

Sometimes called the Parable of the Lost Son, or, more accurately, the Lost Sons, it could just as well be named the Parable of the Loving Father, the Waiting Father, or the Running Father. The father is the true star of the story. His gracious welcome of the wayward son is why this is the best-loved of all Jesus’ parables and the crown jewel of his stories.

Like the other “lost” parables, this one reveals the true heart of God. It shows that God longs for his lost sons to come home, that he holds nothing against us, and that no matter what we have done, his heart overflows with love and grace.

(b) Two sons. One son ran after pleasure while the other buried himself in work, and neither knew his father’s love.

The two sons represent the two audiences listening to Jesus. The younger son stands for the tax collectors and sinners who are being drawn to the Lord, while the older son represents the grumbling Pharisees and scribes (Luke 15:1–2). The two sons also remind us of the Pharisee and the tax collector in another parable (Luke 18:9–14). One is a sinner, the other is self-righteous, and both are in need of grace.

Luke 15:12

“The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.

(a) The younger son is itching to go and find his way in the world, and for this, he needs money. He knows he has an inheritance coming to him, but that day is miles away, and he is impatient.

(b) My share. The son is essentially saying, “I wish you were dead so I could have your money.” And his father, in financial terms, obliges. He doesn’t get angry or swat the boy for his insolence, nor does he punish him for breaking the commandment to honor his father and mother (Ex. 20:12). Instead, he divides his assets, signs the papers, and gives his son everything he asks for.

Why does he do it? This father loves his son, but he knows there can be no love without freedom, including the freedom to leave. His son is breaking his heart, so the father plays the long game. Lay down the law, and the boy will leave and never return. But give him grace, and he may yet win his son’s heart.

(c) Divided. There was nothing in Jewish law that said a father had to give his sons their inheritance before he died.

(d) Wealth. Various Bibles say “estate,” “property,” and “inheritance,” but the original noun (bios) means “life.” The father gives his sons more than money. He gives them everything that makes up his life and livelihood—his land, buildings, tools, and livestock. He surrenders his life as a gentleman farmer so that his rebellious son can go and find himself. In the same way, God the Father gave humanity the whole world (Ps. 115:16), knowing that we would turn our backs on him and walk away.

(e) Between them. The older brother receives his inheritance too, a fact he seems to forget (see Luke 15:29). Being the eldest, he would have received the lion’s share of the estate (Deut. 21:17).

The silence of the older brother speaks volumes. His younger sibling is breaking their father’s heart and tearing the family apart, yet he says nothing. His cold indifference belies his own estrangement from the father.

Luke 15:13

“And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

(a) Not many days later. The younger son quickly liquidates his share—it would’ve been a third of the estate. Property and assets that had been carefully accumulated over generations are sold off in a fire sale. Having dishonored his father, he breaks ties with his family and walks away from the only world he knows, the village in which he was raised.

(b) A journey. The son is lured away on account of a lie. He thinks, “My father is holding out on me.” It’s a lie as old as the Fall of Man. “I don’t need God. I can do better on my own.” In a culture where family provided you with security and aid, the young man’s decision to strike out alone is inexplicable. It’s a journey into the void.

Some see this as a warning to backsliding Christians. “Run away and you become dead to the Lord.” Nothing could be further from the truth. You remain a dearly loved child of God even when you stumble or stray. Nothing will ever separate you from your Father’s love (Rom. 8:38–39).

(c) Squandered his estate. Note that it was his own money he squandered. The older brother will later complain that the boy devoured his father’s wealth (Luke 15:30), but it was not his father’s money anymore.

(d) Loose. The Greek adverb asotos means “extravagantly” or “recklessly.” The English word “prodigal,” which first appeared in the 1551 edition of the Matthew Bible, means “recklessly wasteful.” Older English Bibles translate it as “riotous,” which carries the same idea. The son burns through his inheritance in extravagant living. Alone in the world, he probably hosts banquets to win friends and build connections.

Luke 15:14

“Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.

(a) Spent everything. The young man fails to protect his capital. He does not buy a small farm, plant olive trees, or make any plans for the future. He is a farmer’s son, but he does not act like one.

(b) A severe famine. The economy tanks. The shelves are stripped bare, the jobs dry up, and the young man falls on hard times. Once upon a time, he lived under his father’s blessing and protection. But after he struck out alone, his life became cursed and barren.

In the ancient world, a famine was a horror from which there was little chance of escape. Corpses littered the streets, and the starving were driven to desperate deeds. Yet despite his dire straits, the young man does not return home. His shame is too great. Having squandered the family fortune, he cannot face his father or brother. He knows he has forfeited his place in the community.

(c) Impoverished. Like a sinking ship, he is going down. His money is gone, his credit is no good, and his so-called friends have left him. But he is not finished yet. He comes up with a way to save himself. “I’ll get a job.”

Luke 15:15

“So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

(a) Hired himself. The original verb kollao means “to glue together.” Like an annoying pest that won’t go away, the desperate young man attaches himself to a wealthy citizen. “I’ll do anything.”

(b) Citizen. Not everyone was a citizen, so this is a man of privilege. He tries to rid himself of this pest by offering him a job no Jew would take, that of a swineherd.

(c) Swine or pigs were unclean to Jews (Lev. 11:7–8), so to get a job as a swineherd was to hit rock bottom. On the farm, the young son had been a princeling, but now he is the lowest of the low.

Luke 15:16

“And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

(a) Pods. The gelatinous, barely nutritious pods of the carob tree were used as animal feed. The young man would have eaten them if he could have.

(b) No one gives him anything. Begging proves to be as fruitless as every other scheme he has tried. To others, he is a worthless vagrant, valued less than pigs. If he were to drop dead, no one would miss him.

Luke 15:17

“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

(a) Senses. His trials and tribulations break the spell that seduced him. At last, he sees the truth. He realizes that, by leaving his father, he has made a fatal choice. “What have I done?”

(b) Hired men. Day laborers; see entry for Luke 15:19.

(d) I am dying. His money is gone, and his plans have failed. He had tried to keep his sinking ship afloat, but his best efforts could not save him. Now he has nothing left. “I am dying.”

Much is made of the young man’s sins—how he dishonors his father, mingles with Gentiles, and squanders his inheritance. But those are all by the by. His real problem is mortal, not moral. Death is closing in, and there is nothing he can do to stop it. His greatest and most pressing need is for salvation.

(e) Hunger. Although he doesn’t know it, the starving son is closer to salvation than he has ever been. Having been stripped of all his resources, he is finally ready to receive what his father always longed to give him. Poverty is not a blessing, but it may lead us to the Blesser. “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20).

Like the hungry prodigal, many people come to God on account of some need. It may be a need for healing, forgiveness, or an assurance of salvation. Whatever your need, God is faithful and generous to supply all our needs (Php. 4:19).

Luke 15:18–19

‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’

(a) I will get up and go. Now desperate, the younger son thinks he can save himself by sacrificing his freedom.

(b) Go to my father. For the first time, the son is heading in the right direction. But the father to whom he is returning is a false image distorted by the darkness that deceived him. He imagines his father will be furious with him and reject him.

(c) I have sinned. It sounds noble, but his motive is suspect. He has no real desire to reconcile with his father, and his heart remains as estranged as ever. If he weren’t starving, he wouldn’t be going home. He’ll say whatever it takes to stay alive.

(d) No longer worthy. He heads home fully conscious of his shame; see entry for Luke 15:21.

(e) Make me. The prodigal devises a plan to stay alive while distancing himself from his father’s imagined wrath: “Feed me, and I’ll work for you.” It’s a bad plan, but at least it gets him moving in the right direction.

Many people bargain with God in the same way: “Do something for me, and I’ll do something for you.” Believing God to be harsh and angry, they believe they must offer a service or sacrifice before he will help them. It’s bad theology, but sometimes even bad theology can get people moving in the right direction.

(f) Hired men are day laborers who work in the fields (Matt. 20:1), unlike servants who work in the house (Luke 15:22). In the future the son envisions for himself, he will toil outdoors, far from his father and the family home.

Since hired workers and servants are not part of the family, they do not share the rights and privileges of sons. Like slaves, their value is determined by what they do, not who they are. The tragedy of this story is that the older son sees himself as a slave (Luke 15:29), while the younger son aspires to become one. And the tragedy within the church is that many share this same mindset. They say things like, “I’m content to be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord.” They see themselves as servants instead of sons.

Luke 15:20

“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

(a) A long way off. The father has been scanning the horizon, watching for his boy. At last, his prayers are answered, and his son appears. But what has happened to his child? His clothes are torn, his feet are bloodied, and his body is wasted from hunger. The boy who left home proud and strong now stumbles toward him, a shadow of his former self.

(b) Compassion. To have compassion is to identify with someone in their suffering. Compassion is that wrenching, deep-felt love that causes the father to say, “I will not leave my son in this woeful condition.”

The father’s unexpected compassion is the pivotal moment in the story. Where is the anger, the indignation? His son disgraced him publicly, yet there is no hint of retribution. Under the harsh Law of Moses, the father could have had his rebellious son stoned to death (Deut. 21:18–21). But this is not a stern disciplinarian who punishes his children for their mistakes. This is a true father who loves unconditionally, relentlessly, and without regard for their performance.

Jesus is painting a portrait of our heavenly Father who does not hold our trespasses against us (2 Cor. 5:19). Although we fail, his love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Cor. 13:5). The Pharisees saw God as a strict, bookkeeping judge, but Jesus reveals a Father who is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Ex. 34:6).

See entry for Compassion.

(c) Ran. Compassion compels the old man to hitch up his robes and run to his son. But it is more than compassion that drives him. He runs to save his son. Scholars of Middle Eastern culture note that the son’s reception in the village would have been hostile. By abandoning his family and community, he has become a persona non grata. The father runs to shield the boy from those who would mock or mistreat him.

God rarely hurries in the Bible, but when it comes to saving lost sons, he runs. When a distressed David cried for help, the Lord came swiftly on the wings of the wind (Ps. 18:10). You may feel like you are a long way from God, but your Father sees you. He hears your faintest prayer and rushes to your aid.

(d) Embraced him. The father’s heart is so full of love that it renders him oblivious to the stench of swine and sin. His son has returned! Nothing else matters. With unrestrained joy, he wraps his child in his arms and kisses him. Some translations say the father “fell on his neck.” Luke uses this same phrase to describe how the Holy Spirit fell on the believers at Cornelius’ house (Acts 10:44).

(e) Kissed. In biblical times, men kissed each other as a sign of affection or greeting. Jacob kissed his father (Gen. 27:27). Esau kissed his brother (Gen. 33:4). Joseph kissed his brothers (Gen. 45:15) and his father (Gen. 50:1). Aaron kissed Moses (Ex. 4:27), and so on. In the New Testament, the Ephesian elders “fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him” (Acts 20:37, KJV).

(f) Kissed him. The father’s affectionate embrace hits the son like a thunderbolt from heaven. In an instant, he sees his father as he truly is. This is not the homecoming he imagined. He expected to run the gauntlet of shame and face the wrath of his kin. Instead, he sees the astonishing sight of his father running toward him and falling on him with affection and love. Every image of a stern, disapproving old man is shattered. He realizes he is loved—not for what he has done or what he might say, but simply because he is his father’s son. He has always been loved, though he never knew it until now. His father’s embrace becomes a refining fire, consuming the lies that drove him away.

At the cross, God embraced sinful humanity in the ultimate demonstration of unconditional love (see 2 Cor. 5:19). The truth is, we were always loved, but only in the cross do we see clearly the love of God. The cross of Christ is a refining fire that incinerates every false image we may have about our Father’s love.

The son now stands at a crossroads. He can cling to his self-reliance and push his father away, or he can accept the embrace and take his rightful place as a son. As his father’s tears of joy fall on his face, he feels the weight of the pain he has caused. His heart breaks, and in that moment, he does what he never planned to do. He repents.

Luke 15:21

“And 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.’

(a) Father. Hearing his son utter the word “Father” must have warmed the old man’s heart. In the same way, our heavenly Father is delighted when we cry out “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:15).

(b) I have sinned. This time, his repentance speech is genuine. It comes from the heart. The son discards any thought of doing a deal—what can he do to atone for his sin?—and puts himself completely at the mercy of his father.

To confess, “I have sinned,” is to agree with God that we are lost and in need of saving. It is saying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). We can be confident that when we acknowledge our sinfulness, God is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). He does not forgive us because we confessed our sins but because he is good (Eph. 1:7). Forgiveness is a gift to receive, and in Christ, we have it (Col. 1:14).

(c) No longer worthy. Working in the pigpen had buried the young son under a mountain of shame. Shame undermines our identity. It says, “You are what you did. If you did bad, you are bad.” Shame drove Adam and Eve to hide from the Lord, and shame keeps sinners from the house of grace. God’s remedy for shame is the cross. “Christ died for sinners” (Rom. 5:8). The cross declares that you have been ransomed by the infinitely precious blood of Jesus, which means you are precious. In God’s eyes, you are worth more than life itself.

Luke 15:22

“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

(a) The father says not one word about his son’s sin. He never mentions the wasted money or his son’s poor life choices. He doesn’t say, “Don’t you realize what you put me through?” Like our heavenly Father, this good father does not speak the language of guilt and condemnation. His forgiveness is complete and unqualified.

(b) Slaves; see entry for Matt. 18:23.

(c) Quickly. The father moves quickly. “My son looks like a beggar. This must be remedied at once.” He orders a robe to be brought and placed on his son right there on the road, covering his shame with honor. His swift action mirrors the instant transformation that occurs whenever a sinner comes to Christ and becomes a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). This dramatic change is symbolized by the three gifts given by the father: the robe, the ring, and the sandals.

(d) Robe. The son is clothed with the best or first robe. This is not a spare robe brought out for weekend guests. It is the father’s robe, a robe of honor that speaks of restoration and a new identity.

When we come to God, he removes our self-righteous rags and arrays us with the splendid robes of his righteousness (Is. 61:10, 64:6). He makes us as righteous as he is (2 Cor. 5:21). In doing this, he declares, “This is not a sinner but a righteous son with whom I am well pleased.”

(e) Ring. The father gives his son the signet ring of authority, the key to his accounts. In the same way, when we turn to God in faith, we are given the keys to the kingdom and all the blessings of heaven (Matt. 16:19, Eph. 1:3). There are no probationary Christians and no second-class saints. The moment you were put in Christ, you were seated with him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). One with the Lord, you can reign in life (Rom. 5:17).

(f) Sandals. The son is given shoes to show that he is a son and no slave. When God clothes us in his new life, he equips us to walk in the freedom of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:25).

Luke 15:23

and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

(a) The fattened calf represents the very best feast that the father can provide.

In this story, we have encountered the father’s forgiveness and the father’s feast, and both are essential elements of the gospel message. The father’s forgiveness reveals his mercy, while the feast reveals his grace. Mercy forgives the wayward son, but grace throws him a party. Mercy receives the son, but grace clothes him and escorts him to the table of abundance.

God’s goodness is revealed in his mercy and grace. Mercy delivers you from servitude, but grace adopts you as a son. Mercy clears your debts, but grace makes you a co-heir with Christ. Mercy takes you out of prison, but grace seats you in heavenly places in Christ.

(b) Celebrate. Although a new believer may experience joy in being born again, the father’s feast represents the even greater joy God feels when a lost soul turns to him in repentance (see Luke 15:7, 10). As he does in other parables (e.g., Matt. 22:2, Luke 14:16), Jesus portrays his Father’s reign as one of joyful celebration. Truly, the kingdom of God is a party.

Luke 15:24

for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

(a) This son of mine. Lest there be any doubt among the watching servants and neighbors, the father declares his son’s true status. “This is my son.”

The devil may call you a sinner, and the world might label you a failure, but Almighty God declares that you are his beloved child. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

(b) Dead. The son was as good as dead to the father. In the same way, humanity was as good as dead the moment we walked away from the Author of Life. “You were dead in your trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).

God is the Father of creation (Mal. 2:10, Acts 17:29, 1 Cor. 8:6), but those who are dead in sins have no relationship with him. This is why the Scriptures urge us to receive him and be “born again” into the family of God (John 1:12). If the son had not received his father’s hug, he would have remained estranged and alone in this world.

(c) Life. We were created to live in spiritual fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:3). The lonely and futile existence of Adamic life cannot compare with the thrill of partaking in the divine life that is ours in Christ (1 John 5:11).

(d) Lost. To be lost, you have to belong to someone. The lost sheep belonged to the shepherd, the coin belonged to the woman, and the son belonged to the father. All who are lost belong to God the Father. He made them and he sent his Son to save them (Luke 19:10). God does not want anyone to be lost, but he desires all to be reconciled and restored (2 Cor. 5:20, 2 Pet. 3:9).

(e) Found. The dreams we have for ourselves are far less than what God has in mind for us. The son wanted a meal; the father provided a feast. The son wanted a job; the father gave him a family. We cannot begin to imagine the good things God has in store for us (1 Cor. 2:9). To be “found” in God satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts.

(f) Celebrate; see previous verse.

Luke 15:25

“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

(a) Older son. The story of the son who stayed home is a separate parable with a different message. If the younger son represents the sinner, the older son is the self-made man. The former is a law-breaker, while the latter is a law-keeper. Some judge the older son to be the “good” son because he stayed and toiled while the other ran away. Yet the older son is just as lost as his brother.

In context, the older son represents the grumbling Pharisees and scribes (Luke 15:2). These men considered themselves good and godly, but Jesus said they were self-righteous and far from God (Mark 7:6, Luke 16:15).

See entry for Self-righteousness.

(b) The field, the work, the ministry, the firm, the start-up—these are the altars of those who practice the religion of self-improvement. The philosophy of the self-made person is that if you want anything good in this life, you must work and make it happen. Divine favor is earned through sweat and sacrifice.

(c) Approached the house. The older brother has been out supervising the field hands and is now returning to the family home in the village.

(d) Music and dancing. As the older son approaches, he hears joyful music. Yet he does not hurry inside to join the party. He remains outside, like the Pharisees who are offended that Jesus dines with sinners.

Luke 15:26–27

“And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’

(a) Servant. The servant or houseboy who goes out into the dark represents the gospel heralds who go into the world carrying the light of God’s grace. They proclaim what they have seen and heard so that others may have fellowship with the Father and his Son (1 John 1:3).

(b) The fattened calf, see entry for Luke 15:23.

(d) He has received him. In the same way that Jesus received sinners and ate with them (Luke 15:2), the father has received his brother and is now feasting with him.

Luke 15:28

“But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

(a) He became angry. When the simmering resentment he has long held toward his good-for-nothing brother collides with the news that his father has welcomed this ne’er-do-well with a feast, the older son becomes furious.

He should have rejoiced at the news. “My brother has returned!” He should have hurried inside and taken his rightful place as the host of the party. But the celebration offends his righteous sensibilities. “Why is my father honoring this wastrel while I’m busting my hump under the hot sun?”

The self-righteous are hostile toward grace because it threatens to undermine everything they have worked to achieve. When Jesus hung out with sinners, the religious types grumbled (Luke 5:30, 15:2, 19:7). When he demonstrated the power of grace, they were furious (Matt. 12:13–14, Luke 6:11, 13:14, John 5:16–18).

(b) Not willing. In the same way that the scribes and Pharisees were not willing to eat with sinners, the older son was not willing to eat with his brother. His refusal to enter the party is more than an act of protest; it is an act of rebellion that pits him against his father.

(c) Father came out. Like a summoned servant, the father leaves the table and steps out into the cold to invite his son inside. In doing so, he reminds us of God the Son leaving heaven and taking on the form of a lowly servant (Php. 2:7). If the first takeaway is that God loves sinners, the second is that he also loves the smug and self-righteous. He will do whatever it takes to free us from the prisons of sin and pride.

(d) Pleading. The father does not command his insolent son to join the party. He pleads with him. The Greek word parakaleō is related to a verb that means “to call.” The call of God goes out to the ends of the earth (Is. 45:22). He calls everyone, good and bad alike, to come out of darkness and enter his marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9).

The father is not angry with his firstborn any more than Jesus is angry with the scribes and Pharisees. He invites them and beseeches them to come and join the party.

Luke 15:29

“But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

(a) Look! Unlike the younger son, the older son never addresses his father as “Father,” nor does he address his brother as “Brother.” His contempt for his family matches the contempt the Pharisees had for others (Luke 18:9).

(b) Serving you. “Look at how I have slaved for you!” The original verb for “serving” (douleuō) can also mean “to slave.”

Like his younger brother, the older son has some screwy notions about his father. He sees him as a demanding employer, even a taskmaster, and so his days are filled with toil, worry, and insecurity. When his father celebrates the return of the idle son, he burns with anger. How can the sinner be inside while he, the faithful worker, remains outside?

Religious people often share this same anger, and it’s not hard to see why. Driven by the law, they carry heavy burdens. They feel obliged to work and guilty for not doing enough. So when they hear that God justifies sinners and throws parties for prodigals, they bristle. They hear the sounds of celebration, but pride won’t let them join in. To join the feast would mean admitting that they have been conned and that all their efforts have earned them nothing.

(c) Never neglected a command. The self-righteous man boasts that he is a law-keeper. (Which is not true because he is dishonoring his father and is about to slander his brother.) But even if he hadn’t broken the law, he is breaking his father’s heart.

(d) Young goat. The father cannot give the older son a goat because every goat and cow already belong to him (see Luke 15:12). The tragedy is that the son sees himself as a slave without a skinny goat, when in truth he is a son who owns everything.

(e) Friends. As if to drive home his point that he wants nothing to do with his father, the older son says he would rather spend time with people like himself than attend a joyful family reunion.

Luke 15:30

but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

(a) This son of yours. “He’s no brother of mine.”

His animosity towards his brother, which is in contrast to his father’s compassion, reveals the darkness in his heart (1 John 2:9). Jesus said, “If your brother repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). But there’s no forgiveness here.

(b) Came. The older brother’s speech is filled with harsh words. This son of yours came, not returned; he devoured, not squandered. It sounds like the wayward son has descended on the farm like a plague of locusts.

(c) Your wealth. Technically, his brother had squandered his own wealth. It had been their father’s wealth, but that was before their father divvied up the family estate. Still, it’s a golden opportunity to hang his brother for embezzlement.

(d) Prostitutes. Who said anything about prostitutes? The older brother has no idea what the younger son did with his money. But slanderous accusations often feature in the slurs of the self-righteous.

(e) The fattened calf; see entry for Luke 15:23.

Luke 15:31

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

(a) Son. A better translation is “child.”

The word “son” appears nine times in this parable. Eight of those times it is a noun (huios) which means “son” in a broad sense and can include adopted sons (e.g., Rom. 8:15). But the Greek word here, teknon, means “begotten child.” It’s related to the word tikto, which means “to beget.” The father is reminding his son of his true identity. “You are not a slave. You are the son of my flesh and blood.”

(b) With me. Along with an inheritance, intimacy is the birthright of every child of God. God is with us and he will never leave or forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

(c) Mine. Like some churchgoers today, the Pharisees listening to this story have an old covenant mentality that says, “You have to work for the blessings of God.” But God is a new covenant Father who blesses us for no other reason than he loves us. As co-heirs with Christ, everything that is his is ours (John 17:10, Rom. 8:17).

Luke 15:32

‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

(a) We had to celebrate. The resurrection of a loved one is always a good reason to party.

The wonder of grace is that God welcomes both the sinful and the sanctimonious. Whether you are good or bad, you are invited to his house of grace. But there is a right way and a wrong way to come. The younger son shows us that the proper way to approach God is with empty hands and humble hearts. In contrast, the older brother shows us the wrong way is to come with résumés and sacrifices. The party is paid for, so come and eat. Anything we might bring to the Lord’s Table only detracts from its perfection.

(b) Rejoice. The shepherd who found his sheep and the woman who found her coin rejoiced with their friends and neighbors (Luke 15:6, 9), and the father does the same here. God is not the heartless judge portrayed in joyless religion. He is the Mighty Warrior who rescues you, then rejoices and spins around you with shouts of joy (Zep. 3:17).

(c) This brother of yours. The older son dismissed the prodigal as “this son of yours” (Luke 15:30). His father reminds him that no matter what he has done, the younger son remains part of the family.

(d) Dead; see entry for Luke 15:24.

(e) Lost; see entry for Luke 15:24.

Jesus leaves the story unfinished. What happened next? Did the older brother join the feast? Jesus doesn’t say. He leaves the ending open, waiting to see how the Pharisees and scribes will respond. Will they stay outside in the dark, or will they accept his invitation to the kingdom party?

The same invitation is extended to us all, and each of us responds in one way or another. Some respond with grateful wonder, amazed that a good God could love them as much as he does. Others take offense at the scandal of grace. How could God receive sinners? Those in the second group—the older brothers—are more lost than the sinners they scorn. Their stubborn pride keeps them outside the kingdom even as the tax collectors and prostitutes go in (Matt. 21:31).

The Parable of the Prodigal Son shows that all of us are lost, especially those who think of themselves as good and righteous. But the good news is that God gladly receives every one of us, no matter who we are or what we have done.

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Luke 15