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John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 15
MacArthur - By introducing the first two parables with a hypothetical question, the Lord drew the scribes and Pharisees deep into both the experience and thinking of the main characters. Having assumed that role in their minds and affirmed that what the character in the story did was right ethically they were trapped. There was no way to avoid the Lord’s clear and unmistakable application of the truth that it was right to recover a valuable coin and sheep—was it less important to rescue a soul from judgment? (See Luke Commentary) Roy Zuck has an excellent description of parable- Parables, allegories, and fables require special attention in Bible study. A parable is a form of figurative language involving comparisons. But rather than using a single word or phrase to make the comparison or analogy, as in a simile, metaphor, or hypocatastasis, a parable is an extended analogy in story form. A parable is a true-to-life story to illustrate or illuminate a truth. It is true to life though it may not have actually occurred in all details as the story is presented. Historic events may serve as illustrations; but parables are special stories, not necessarily historic events, that are told to teach a particular truth. Since parables are true to life, they differ from allegories and fables....The word parable comes from the Greek para (“beside or alongside”) and ballein (“to throw”). Thus the story is thrown alongside the truth to illustrate the truth. Hearers and readers, by sensing the comparison or analogy between the story and their own situation, are prodded to think. In interpreting parables we need to ask, What is the point of the story? What spiritual truth is being illustrated? What analogy is being made? Parables are sometimes unusual and startling, but never unlifelike or fictitious.Besides referring to stories the Greek word parabolē also refers to short statements (sometimes called similitudes) and to proverbs. Similitudes normally refer to customary habits, stated in the present tense, whereas the story parable records a specific instance, using the past tense (e.g., “A farmer went out to sow his seed,” Matt. 13:3)....Parables were an effective from of communication because, as stories, they immediately sparked interest in the hearers. As the people heard Jesus’ stories, all of which were true-to-life, they were immediately drawn into the stories with Him. Their curiosity was aroused as they wondered how the stories would develop and conclude. Parables encouraged people to think. By drawing analogies Jesus wanted His hearers “to pass a judgment on things on which they were well-acquainted, and then to compel them to transfer that judgment to something to whose significance they had been blind.” Jesus did not narrate the parables simply to entertain audiences with stories. He relayed the parables so that those for whom they were intended would “apply them, even if resentfully or reluctantly, to themselves.”2 His parables were thus often disarming....In interpreting the parables it is important to keep in mind that they all refer in some way to the kingdom of God....If Bible students do not recognize the emphasis on the kingdom in the parables, they overlook an important key to understanding those stories and why Jesus told them. (Borrow Basic Bible Interpretation - an excellent resource) Parable (3850)(parabole from para = beside, near + ballo = throw, cast; English "parable") is literally a throwing beside or placing of one thing by the side of another (juxtaposition as of ships in battle in classic Greek). The metaphorical meaning is to place or lay something besides something else for the purpose of comparison. Parabole - 48v - Matt. 13:3; Matt. 13:10; Matt. 13:13; Matt. 13:18; Matt. 13:24; Matt. 13:31; Matt. 13:33; Matt. 13:34; Matt. 13:35; Matt. 13:36; Matt. 13:53; Matt. 15:15; Matt. 21:33; Matt. 21:45; Matt. 22:1; Matt. 24:32; Mk. 3:23; Mk. 4:2; Mk. 4:10; Mk. 4:11; Mk. 4:13; Mk. 4:30; Mk. 4:33; Mk. 4:34; Mk. 7:17; Mk. 12:1; Mk. 12:12; Mk. 13:28; Lk. 4:23; Lk. 5:36; Lk. 6:39; Lk. 8:4; Lk. 8:9; Lk. 8:10; Lk. 8:11; Lk. 12:16; Lk. 12:41; Lk. 13:6; Lk. 14:7; Lk. 15:3; Lk. 18:1; Lk. 18:9; Lk. 19:11; Lk. 20:9; Lk. 20:19; Lk. 21:29; Heb. 9:9; Heb. 11:19 Gotquestions on parable - Jesus’ parables were stories that were “cast alongside” a truth in order to illustrate that truth. His parables were teaching aids and can be thought of as extended analogies or inspired comparisons. A common description of a parable is that it is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. For a time in His ministry, Jesus relied heavily on parables. He told many of them; in fact, according to Mark 4:34a, “He did not say anything to them without using a parable.” There are about 35 of Jesus’ parables recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. It had not always been that way. In the early part of His ministry, Jesus had not used parables. Suddenly, He begins telling parables exclusively, much to the surprise of His disciples, who asked Him, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” (Matthew 13:10). Jesus explained that His use of parables had a two-fold purpose: to reveal the truth to those who wanted to know it and to conceal the truth from those who were indifferent. In the previous chapter (Matthew 12), the Pharisees had publicly rejected their Messiah and blasphemed the Holy Spirit, thus committing the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12:22–32). They fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of a hardhearted, spiritually blind people (Isaiah 6:9–10). Jesus’ response was to begin teaching in parables. Those who, like the Pharisees, had a preconceived bias against the Lord’s teaching would dismiss the parables as irrelevant nonsense. However, those who truly sought the truth would understand. Jesus made sure His disciples understood the meaning of the parables: “When he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything” (Mark 4:34b). Interpreting a parable can present some challenges for the student of the Bible. Sometimes, interpretation is easy because the Lord Himself gave the interpretation—the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares are both explained in Matthew 13. Here are some principles that help in interpreting the other parables: (1) Determine the scope of the spiritual truth being presented. Sometimes, a parable is preceded by some introductory words that provide a context. For example, often Jesus preceded a parable with the words “this is what the kingdom of heaven is like” (7 times in Matthew 13 alone Ed: Actually the phrase "kingdom of heaven is like..." is found only in Mt 13:24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47). Also, before the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, we read this: “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable” (Luke 18:9). This introduction delineates the subject matter being illustrated (self-righteousness and spiritual pride). (2) Distinguish between the “meat” of the story and what is just ornamentation. In other words, not every detail of a parable carries a deep spiritual meaning. Some details are simply there to help the story seem more realistic. For example, in Jesus’ own interpretation of the Parable of the Sower, He does not comment on the fact that there are four (and only four) different types of soil. That detail was meaningless to the overall point Jesus was making. (3) Compare Scripture with Scripture. This basic principle of hermeneutics is invaluable when studying parables. Jesus’ parables will never contradict the rest of the Word of God, which He came to express (John 12:49). The parables are meant to illustrate doctrine, and the teachings Jesus illuminated are found clearly taught elsewhere in the Bible. There are parables in the Bible other than those found in the Gospels. The book of Proverbs is full of analogies—whenever Solomon used a comparison to teach a truth, especially in emblematic parallelism, the result was a simple parable. For example, Proverbs 20:2 says, “A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion.” The roaring of a lion is “cast alongside” the wrath of a king for the purpose of comparison. That is the essence of parabolic language. After telling some of His parables, Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Mark 4:9, 23, Ed: cf "He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” in Lk 14:35 - see comment). This was a call to listen to the parables, not just as one would listen to an ordinary story but as one who is seeking the truth of God. May God grant us all ears to truly “hear.” (Gotquestions - this site is excellent and is highly recommended) They tell us not so much about a lost sheep as a seeking shepherd, not so much about a lost coin as a searching woman, not so much about a lost son as a loving father. And all these speak of our Father in heaven. -- Gary Inrig Gary Inrig - There is an ancient story about a young man who came to a rabbi he greatly admired. “Sir, I love you, and I want to follow you. May I become your disciple?” “My son,” came the reply, “do you know what hurts me and gives me pain?” “No, sir, I don’t think I do.” “Then how can you say you love me, if you don’t know what hurts me?” That is the sense of these three parables. How can we say we know God if we do not know what gives Him pain and brings Him joy? The Lord wants us to see that the Father’s heart hurts for the lost and rejoices when the lost are found. He uses a concept we all understand. When something of value is lost, we do not despise it, we search for it, and rejoice in the finding of it. It is obvious that people feel this way, but the amazing discovery is that God does also. That is the point of the parables. They tell us not so much about a lost sheep as a seeking shepherd, not so much about a lost coin as a searching woman, not so much about a lost son as a loving father. And all these speak of our Father in heaven. (Borrow The Parables : Understanding What Jesus Meant) Hampton Keathley IV helps set the context for why the Pharisees and scribes were so upset with Jesus eating with sinners - The Talmud said, “All the prophets prophesied only for repentant sinners, but as for the perfectly righteous, who had never sinned at all, the eye has not seen, what God has prepared for him.” The Talmud taught that a person could live a sinless life. The Pharisees believed that they were perfectly righteous, that they had not sinned. Therefore, they really despised the sinners and the tax-gatherers. What was wrong with being a tax-gatherer? A tax-gatherer was a Jew working for Gentiles and that was bad. In that culture, the word tax-gatherer was synonymous with sinner because tax-gatherers were Jews who had sold out to the Romans and collected taxes for them. In the eyes of the community, a tax-gatherer was a thief. Jesus habitually ministered to the sinners, and it bothered the Pharisees. They concluded that Jesus could not be from God because God did not like sinners. The unspoken question is this: “What is God’s attitude towards sinners?” So Jesus tells three parables to show why He eats with outcasts. In them He will answer the question about God’s attitude towards sinners. And he will deal with the Pharisees self-righteous attitude and their condemnation of others. (Parables) Moody Bible Commentary - The primary point of the parables, usually neglected in popular lessons on them, is that the religious leaders should not have been criticizing Jesus for seeking tax collectors and sinners (Lk 15:1; note how this verse introduces all three parables). God rejoices when such are "found," and the sour attitude of the Pharisees and the scribes is condemned (as seen in the interaction between the father and the older brother in Lk 15:25-32, which makes up nearly half of the parable, another point frequently neglected). A secondary, though admittedly important, theme of all three parables is that God rejoices when repentant sinners turn to Him and are "found." "The way to God is through repentance. God's arms are open to the person who will seek Him on His terms. God's arms close around the child ready to run to Him and receive what He offers" (Bock, Luke, 1295). Another theme is the joy that comes when that which is lost is found....The fourfold pattern—an item is lost, a search is made, the item is found, rejoicing follows—appears in each of the parables. This pattern is the pattern of salvation—sinners are lost, they are sought by Christ (cf. 19:10), they are found by God, rejoicing follows. Only in the parable of the Prodigal Son is the human responsibility to repent presented. (See The Moody Bible Commentary) Rod Mattoon - The three parables or stories illustrate something else to us. They picture three key ways people tend to get away from God. 1. Wandering: Folks can get away from God by wandering away from Him like a wayward lamb. Many Christians have gotten out of church by slowly drifting away from the Lord. The psalmist spoke of this in Psalm 119. Psalm 119:10— With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. If you wander from His Word, you will wander from Him. They are intertwined. 2. A Wayward, Wavering Fall: As the coin suddenly fell, some get caught up in a fleshly temptation on the spur of the moment. Sensual desires are ignited and the person falls into sin like a dropped coin. The circumstances were perfect for a fall on the whim of a moment. As the thread attaching the coin to the headdress of the woman was weak and broken, weakened resistance to temptation and broken fellowship with God can lead to a rapid fall into sin. Peter knew what it was like to fall away from the Lord and he warned us of this problem. 2 Peter 3:17— Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. 3. Willful Rebellion: The willful, rebellion of the son led to his destruction in sin. Our rebellion and hard heart can destroy us, too. It can keep us from coming to Christ and trusting in Him or it can cause us to run away from the Lord. (Treasures from Luke) 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? KJV Luke 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? What man among you Lk 13:15; Mt 12:11; 18:12; Ro 2:1 if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them Ps 119:176; Isa 53:6; Jer 50:6; Ezek 34:8,11,12,16,31; Mt 18:12,13; John 10:15,16,26-28; 1 Peter 2:25 Luke 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 15 Jesus: The Seeking Savior, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 15:1-2 Heaven's Joy: Recovering the Lost - John MacArthur Luke 15 The Seeking Savior - Pt 1 - John MacArthur Related Passages: Luke 13:15+ But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? Matthew 12:11+ And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? ONE SHEEP: LOST, SOUGHT & FOUND Compare similar passage in Matthew 18:12-14 “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 “If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish (apollumi = "lost" in Lk 15:4). Stein comments - In Matt 18:10–14 the sheep are not “lost” but “wandering.” (STRAYING) (New American Commentary – Volume 24: Luke) Notice in Lk 15:3 Luke states this parable (singular), indicating that there is one parable dealing with three entities - a sheep, a coin and a son. "The three have one central theme, namely, The Father's Yearning Love for the Lost. It is that theme on which the emphasis is placed throughout." (Hendriksen) Leon
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MacArthur says "as the son knew well and recalled, his father generously exceeded the requirements of the law by making sure that the men he hired had more than enough bread." (Ibid) Note that bread here symbolizes food of various kinds that were available in his father's house, not just bread. His low state brings him face to face with reality of his true condition. Inrig - The prodigal had left home to find his freedom. Instead he had found servitude, a bondage far worse than anything his father’s hired men experienced. Sadly, it is often not until we reach the pigpen that we come to understand the glory of the Father’s house. (Borrow The Parables : Understanding What Jesus Meant) But I am dying (apollumi) here with hunger (limos) - "But" is a marker of contrast (see term of contrast). The contrast here is between hunger in a far country and satisfaction of even the hired help in his father's home. Dying is the same verb apollumi earlier translated lost. Was he literally dying? Imminent death from starvation was certainly a possibility. We do not know how long he had gone without nutrients, but medically most doctors agree that healthy humans can go up to eight weeks without food as long as they have water. Of course, given his dissolute lifestyle, the prodigal would hardly be classified as healthy. The point that Jesus is making is the striking contrast between conditions in the foreign land with a severe famine and condition in his father's home with ready rations. His sinful choices had the potential to cost him his life. And isn't that what unabated, unhindered profligacy will do to a soul "for the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption (phthora = rottenness, decay of one's soul!)" (Gal 6:8-note)? This brings to mind the decaying effect of methamphetamines on a human body (e.g., "meth mouth," cf the strikingly sad "before and after pictures"). Sin kills! And he was "dying...with hunger" because of his sin! Ray Pritchard - When the prodigal son hit bottom, his life began to change. Five words tell the story. (Awakening, Repentance, Honesty, Humility, Resolution) First, there was an awakening. Luke 15:17 says, “When he came to his senses.” That’s a great phrase—"He came to his senses.” Sin is senseless. Sin is a form of temporary spiritual insanity. Turning away from God is insanity because you are turning away from that which is good to that which is bad, from that which is worth everything to that which is worth nothing, from that which has eternal value to that which has no value. You are turning away from living water so you can drink out of a sewer. That is the definition of insanity. What was it that brought him to his senses? He was hungry. His stomach made him come back to his father. That’s not a very exalted motive. Nothing suggests he turned back to his father because he realized what a terrible thing he had done. Why would a father take back a son whose only motive for coming back home is because he is hungry? Because that’s what it means to be a father. If you’re hungry, I know where you can be fed. If you are tired of eating with the pigs, I know where you can join a banquet that never ends. If you are thirsty and tired of the sewer water of sin, I know where you can get a drink of fresh, clear, flowing, living water. All you have to have is the desire. That’s all. (Luke 15:11-32 Tapped On a Dead-End Street) It Makes Sense When he came to himself, he said, ". . . I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned.'" —Luke 15:17-18 In his book Life After God, Douglas Coupland writes about Scout, a member of “the first generation raised without religion.” Scout lost his wife and son because she “just stopped being in love.” He trafficked in drugs and lived in a spiritual wasteland, but for an instant at least he “came to his senses.” Scout confessed, “My secret is that I need God—that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help me give, because I no longer seem capable of giving; to help me be kind, as I no longer seem capable of kindness; to help me love, as I seem beyond being able to love.” Scout may not know it, but he has taken his first step toward God. In the story Jesus told about the prodigal son, a young man left home and wasted his inheritance. When his money was all gone, he took a job tending pigs. He had hit bottom. There he sat, surrounded by pigs, feeling the gnawing hunger in his belly. He thought about home, his dad, and his father’s hired men. And “he came to himself” (Lk. 15:17). Changing his mind about the direction his life had been going, he decided to go back home and admit how wrong he had been. Think About It Have you ever decided to trust Christ as your Savior? Is there sin in your life that needs to be confessed? Doesn't it make sense to accept the Father's love? A broken heart is the first step to spiritual wholeness. Luke 15:18 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; KJV Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, I will get up and go to my father 1 Ki 20:30,31; 2 Ki 7:3,4; 2 Chr 33:12,13,19; Ps 32:5; 116:3-7; Jer 31:6-9; 50:4,5; Lam 3:18-22,29,40; Hosea 2:6,7; 14:1-3; Jonah 2:4; 3:9 Father Lk 11:2; Isa 63:16; Jer 3:19; 31:20; Mt 6:9,14; 7:11 I have sinned Lk 18:13; Lev 26:40,41; 1 Ki 8:47,48; Job 33:27,28; 36:8-10; Ps 25:11; Ps 32:3-5; 51:3-5; Pr 23:13; Mt 3:6; 1 John 1:8-10 against heaven, and in your sight; Lk 15:21; Daniel 4:26 Luke 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 15:11-32 The Tale of Two Sons - John MacArthur Luke 15:17-21 The Tale of Two Sons - Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 15:17-24 The Loving Father - John MacArthur THE PRODIGAL SON HAD "HIT ROCK BOTTOM" I will get up - Indeed he was down. He had "hit rock bottom," and was as low as he could go. The rude awakening of his poverty and the famine, the latter representing a providential effect from God, are now morphing into a spiritual awakening of his soul. And isn't this what had to happen to every one of us who have been saved by grace through faith? We had to come to the point where we recognized we were going to perish because of our sin and the consequences wrought by that sin. As Norman Crawford says "It is a necessity for the salvation of every sinner whether he has walked the road of the prodigal, who illustrates the publicans and sinners, or the road of the Pharisees, who are pictured in the elder brother." (What the Bible teaches – Luke) Robertson on get up...go - This determination is the act of the will after he comes to himself and sees his real condition. Go to my father - From the preceding context (my father's hired men have more than enough bread...I am dying here with hunger) it seems that initially starvation motivated his desire to return. However, as we see below, a attitude of genuine contrition began growing in his heart. THE PRODIGAL REHEARSES HIS CONFESSION And will say to him - Surely this was a humbling "reunion!" He is prepared to fall at his father’s feet in the hope he would receive mercy (what he did not deserve) rather than justice (what he did deserve). This is what conversion is all about: ending a life of slavery to sin through confession to the Father and faith in Jesus Christ and becoming a slave to righteousness, offering one’s body as a living sacrifice (1 John 1:9; Ro 6:6-18; 12:1). Father, I have sinned against heaven - Against heaven is another way of saying against God (cf Da 4:26-note "your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules"). His confession turned his entire life around! Notice that he said it while he was still living with the pigs. He said it while he was still far away from home. He said it while he was still totally broke and desperately hungry. And he has good theology, for he recognizes his sin is first against heaven, against God. Recall Joseph's words when being tempted by Potiphar's wife "How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Ge 39:9) After David's adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah, he came to his senses and cried out "Against Thee, Thee only I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight." (Ps 51:4-note). I have sinned (hamartano) means "I have missed the mark of your will for my life father."
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MacArthur - Drawing near to God is the essence of Christianity as compared with the Levitical system (IN THE NT IT WAS THE PHARISEES WHO KEPT SINNERS FROM DRAWING NEAR TO GOD! SEE Mt 23:15, cf Gal 4:17, 6:12, Php 3:18-note), which kept people outside His presence. As believer priests, we are all to draw near to God—that is a characteristic of priesthood. (MacArthur Study Bible) Eggizo is the verb James uses in his exhortation Draw near (eggizo in the aorist imperative - a command - the Spirit enables us but we still must choose to draw near) to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse (aorist imperative ) your hands, you sinners; and purify (aorist imperative) your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8-note) Eggizo is often used to describe the approach of the Kingdom of God and in this passage describes the continuous (eggizo is in the present tense) approach of "untouchables" to the King of the Kingdom! Steven
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MacArthur - Shepherds were near the bottom of the social ladder. Caring for sheep was the lowest of the legitimate occupations, ranking just above the outcast line, below which were tax collectors and other irreligious sinners. Shepherds were uneducated and unskilled, and were increasingly viewed in the post-New Testament era as dishonest, unreliable, and unsavory—so much so that they were not permitted to testify in court. Sheep had to be watched and cared for seven days a week, leaving shepherds unable to fully comply with the Pharisees’ man-made Sabbath regulations. Because they were in continual violation of those regulations, shepherds were perpetually ceremonially unclean. For Jesus to ask the scribes and Pharisees to imagine themselves in the role of a shepherd was insulting. No Pharisee would demean himself by becoming a shepherd, not even hypothetically. By challenging them to put themselves in the imaginary shepherd’s place, the Lord once again attacked their overweening pride. (See Luke 11-17 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) NET Note on a hundred sheep - This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep. Sheep - In the context of the criticism of Jesus was directed at (1) welcoming sinners and (2) eating with sinners (Lk 15:2), so the sheep represent sinners, for as Isaiah documented "All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." (Isa 53:6). Adam
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MacArthur - Having drawn the scribes and Pharisees into the story, the Lord delivered a devastating application to them....The contrast between the scribes and Pharisees, who were indifferent to the plight of the lost, and God, who seeks them and rejoices when they are found, is striking. Notice how this parable presents the picture of "more joy" in contrast to continual grumbling of the Pharisees. The shepherd rejoices, the neighbors rejoice, and heaven rejoices. This emphasis on joy continues in the second section of the parable describing the lost coin and the third describing the lost son. In fact joy/rejoicing/rejoicing is a key word in this parable occurring 6 times - Lk 15:5 = rejoicing; Lk 15:6 = rejoice; Lk 15:7 = joy”; Lk 15:9 = rejoice”; Lk 15:10 = joy; Lk 15:32 = rejoice.
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MacArthur - The story also contains Christological overtones. God incarnate in Jesus Christ is the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14), who came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). He has compassion on lost sinners, whom He likened to sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34), and bore the full burden of their restoration to God by laying down His life for them (John 10:11; cf. Isa. 53:4-6; 1Peter 2:24-25) (See Luke 11-17 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Ninety-nine righteous (dikaios) persons - Jesus adds a touch of divine irony! (Other examples of Jesus’ use of irony = Luke 5:32; 11:47–48; 12:54–56; 13:33; 18:9–14) Clearly Jesus is not saying these were righteous persons in God's sight. Yes, they were righteous, but only in their OWN sight, not God's sight and that makes all the difference in this world and the next, for as Paul wrote "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;" (Ro 3:10+). In other words, no sinful human being in Adam (that's all of us - Ro 5:12+) either truly seeks for God or does anything "good" that merits salvation (declaration of righteousness in the sight of God). ESV Note adds that "Paul does not deny that human beings perform some actions that conform externally to goodness, but these actions, prior to salvation, are still stained by evil, since they are not done for God’s glory (Ro 1:21+) and do not come from faith (Ro 14:23+)." As an aside some commentators really "go off the reservation" so to speak in trying to identify the 99 sheep. Some ancient writers for example, such as Cyril, Alexander, and Ambrose attempted to identify the ninety-nine as the angels and the one which was lost as the human race! Remember this is a parable and one must be cautious in using one's "sanctified imagination" in attaching a specific interpretation to every detail. Notice that repents is in the present tense, which signifies not just a one time repentance but a veritable lifestyle of repentance. Does this characterize your Christian life dear follower of Christ? Do you bring joy to heaven by repenting from sin? Of course the only way to work out your salvation in fear and trembling in this case manifest by continual repenting (Php 2:12-note) is to depend on God the Spirit Who is continually at work in you (supernaturally energizing you and) giving you both the desire and power to repent as a lifestyle! (Php 2:13-note) Let me ask you a related question, are you "prospering" spiritually speaking? If not, could it be that you are not living a lifestyle of repentance? Proverbs speaks of the presence or absence of spiritual prosperity in the context of concealing our sin or confessing and repenting from our sin: He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper (SPIRITUALLY), but he who confesses and forsakes them (~REPENTS) will find compassion. (Pr 28:13+) There are those who classify themselves as evangelicals and yet who sadly deny that the Bible calls for repentance as part of a sinner's salvation experience. In so doing they are contending against a host of Biblical witnesses for as A T
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MacArthur notes that while one coin "may not seem like a large sum, in a bartering society, where money was not used as frequently as in most modern societies, it was a significant loss." Mattoon - In Bible times, the women in the Middle East would often receive ten silver coins as a wedding gift. These were valuable, equal to about one day's wage. They were also sentimental to the wife, and were worn on her headdress across her forehead. These coins were like the wedding ring of today. Some scholars state that the loss of a coin was considered as an indication of unfaithfulness to the husband. These are some of the reasons why this woman is in "panic" mode. (Treasures from Luke)
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MacArthur comments that "People in a small, tight-knit village would share each other’s sufferings and joys, so a party celebrating the woman’s joy at recovering what she had lost would have been appropriate. Are eternal souls worth less? (See Luke Commentary)
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MacArthur comments that "In terms of ethics, the Pharisees would once again have agreed that she had done what was necessary under the circumstances. All would agree that having lost a significant sum of money, there was nothing else for her to do but diligently search for it until she found it. This parable too was aimed squarely at them, as Christ’s emphatic statement I tell you indicates. Yet they again failed to make the connection between their contemptuous disdain for lost souls and God’s passionate concern for them. They failed to share in the joy that exists in the presence of the angels of God, who have a keen interest in the redemption that produces God’s joy (cf. Matt. 18:10; 25:31; Luke 2:10-14; 1 Peter 1:12; Rev. 3:5), over one sinner who repents. The joy here is God’s joy, the joy that fills heaven, and in which the angels and the redeemed share (cf. Rev. 4:8-11; 5:8-14). The Lord’s indictment of the scribes and Pharisees was clear and inescapable. How could they affirm the ethical responsibility of a shepherd to search for a lost sheep and a woman to search for a lost coin, while condemning Him for seeking to recover lost souls? How could they understand the joys of the humble men and women in a village over temporal recovery, and utterly fail to comprehend the joy of God in heaven over eternal salvation?" (See Luke Commentary) Over one sinner (harmatolos) who repents (metanoeo) - Jesus linked repentance and belief in Mark 1:15+ declaring ""The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (present imperative - command to make repentance your lifestyle, only possible as we are enabled by the Spirit. Before the Iron Curtain fell believers were called "Repenters!") and believe (present imperative - command to make believing your lifestyle, something only possible as we are enabled by the Spirit) in the Gospel." In Luke 13:5 Jesus declared “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (be lost = apollumi).” In short, it is clear that Jesus uses "repents" as a description of a lost sinner who is saved by grace through faith. THOUGHT- If you preach and teach, do you preach and teach that repentance is an integral component of true salvation? In some of Jesus' last words, in the Lucan version of the "Great Commission" we read "He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Lk 24:46-47+) Are you obeying Jesus' final instructions to His disciples? Morrison - One of the first things to arrest us powerfully is the worth of single souls. It was one sheep the shepherd went to find. It was for one coin the woman searched the house. (Ed: Have you meditated much on the worth of ONE SOUL? Methinks if we do, it will motivate to first pray for EVERY SOUL we are privileged to meet and share Christ will as many as God gives us opportunity. Fill us with holy boldness, Holy Spirit, for the fields are white, but the workers are few and we too will not go unless You send us with supernatural power that the Name of Jesus might be exalted among the nations. Amen) Notice that just as in Luke 15:7, the verb repents is in the present tense, which signifies not just a one time, first time repentance but a lifestyle of repentance. Does this characterize your Christian life dear follower of Christ? Do you bring joy to heaven by repenting from sin? See the discussion in the note on Luke 15:7. Keathley summarizes The Principles We must be careful that we do not despise nor neglect those with socially unacceptable lifestyles because they are valuable to God. We should expend great effort to bring the lost to salvation. This parable should make us want to share the gospel. If we were really concerned for the lost, we would. We should be excited when a sinner repents. (Parables) MacArthur explains components of this parable from their theological perspective - The woman represents God in Christ seeking lost sinners in the cracks, dust, and debris of a dirty world of sin. He initiated the search for those sinners who belong to Him through His sovereign choice of them, since like the lifeless, inanimate coin, they can do nothing on their own (Eph. 2:1-3). Jesus came all the way from heaven to earth to search for His lost ones, pursuing sinners into every dark corner, and then shining the light of the glorious Gospel (2 Cor. 4:5-6; 1 Tim. 1:11) on them. Having found the lost sinner, God in Christ restores him or her to His heavenly treasury, and then expresses joy in which the holy inhabitants of heaven share. Recovering the lost requires costly grace. The sinless Son of God became a man, lived with sinners, bore God’s wrath for sin on the cross, and rose in triumph from the grave. None of the false gods of the world’s religions are like the true and living God, Who seeks and saves unworthy sinners because He values them as His own; Who makes His enemies His friends for the sheer joy that He receives in saving them. (See Luke Commentary) Angels (32)(aggelos/angelos [gg in Greek is pronounced ng] possibly from ago = to bring) literally means a messenger (one who bears a message - Lk 1:11, 2:9, etc or does an errand). Most of the NT uses refer to heavenly angels (messengers) who are supernatural, transcendent beings with power to carry out various tasks. All uses of aggelos that refer to angels are masculine gender (the feminine form of aggelos does not occur.) Vine writes that aggelos refer to "an order of created beings, superior to man, Heb 2:7; Ps. 8:5, belonging to Heaven, Mt. 24:36; Mark 12:25, and to God, Luke 12:8, 15:10, and engaged in His service, Ps. 103:20, Heb 1:14. Angels are spirits, Heb. 1:14, i.e., they have not material bodies as men have; they are either human in form, or can assume the human form when necessary, cp. Luke 24:4, with Lk 24:23, Acts 10:3 with Acts 10:30." Angelos in Luke and Acts - Lk. 1:11; Lk. 1:13; Lk. 1:18; Lk. 1:19; Lk. 1:26; Lk. 1:30; Lk. 1:34; Lk. 1:35; Lk. 1:38; Lk. 2:9; Lk. 2:10; Lk. 2:13; Lk. 2:15; Lk. 2:21; Lk. 4:10; Lk. 7:24; Lk. 7:27; Lk. 9:26; Lk. 9:52; Lk. 12:8; Lk. 12:9; Lk. 15:10; Lk. 16:22; Lk. 22:43; Lk. 24:23; Acts 5:19; Acts 6:15; Acts 7:30; Acts 7:35; Acts 7:38; Acts 7:53; Acts 8:26; Acts 10:3; Acts 10:7; Acts 10:22; Acts 11:13; Acts 12:7; Acts 12:8; Acts 12:9; Acts 12:10; Acts 12:11; Acts 12:15; Acts 12:23; Acts 23:8; Acts 23:9; Acts 27:23 Peter alludes to the wonder of the angels over God's plan of redemption writing It was revealed (apokalupto) to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Gospel (euaggelizo) to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven–things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:12+) Comment: The verb Peter used for angels long to look is parakupto (from pará = beside, aside + kúpto = bend forward, stoop) which means to stoop or bend sideways in order to look into. Figuratively the idea is to look carefully into, to inspect curiously with a focus on satisfying one's curiosity. Indeed, so awesome is the truth of salvation that angels bent over to look carefully at what it entailed, but being unredeemed themselves, they could not fully comprehend the glorious truth of redemption. How sad that we who are redeemed seldom pause to ponder the breadth and length and height and depth of our "so great a salvation." (Heb 2:3). Perhaps you might take a moment in your quiet time today just to meditate on the wonder of a soul that would have been eternally lost who has now been found and can never be lost again throughout all eternity! IN THE PRESENCE OF ANGELS - Vance Havner There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. Luke 15:10. This joy is said not to be among the angels (although that is true also, I am sure), but in their presence. They share it undoubtedly, but who else is there to do the rejoicing? The saints, of course! It must include loved ones in glory thrilled maybe at the conversion of a dear one on earth. It must include faithful preachers and others seeing the answer to their prayers and witnessing while on earth. This tells us more than the fact of their rejoicing, it shows that they are conscious and aware of things happening down here. It reveals the presence of angels who never walked down here, but in whose company we celebrate over there. Heaven Rejoices! There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. — Luke 15:10 Joann had been raised in a Christian home. But when she went to college, she began to question her beliefs and walked away from God. After graduation, she traveled to a number of countries, always looking for happiness but never feeling satisfied. While experiencing some difficulties, she recognized that God was pursuing her and that she needed Him. From Germany, Joann called her parents in the US and said, “I have given my life to Christ, and He’s changing me! I’m sorry for the worry I have caused you.” Her parents were so excited that they called her brothers and sisters-in-law to come over immediately. They wanted to tell them the exciting news in person. “Your sister has received Christ!” they said, rejoicing through tears. I was lost but Jesus found me— Found the sheep that went astray, Threw His loving arms around me, Drew me back into His way. - Rowley Angels rejoice when we repent. Rejoicing In Release Read: Luke 15:1-10 There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. —Luke 15:10 In November 2001, many people around the world rejoiced when eight prisoners were released after 3 tension-filled months of being detained in Afghanistan. They had been charged with “preaching Christianity,” which at the time was a crime punishable by death. After they were set free, they walked into the street and were greeted by hugs and handclapping. When they arrived in Pakistan, there was a joyful reception. And back in Texas, there was a jubilant celebration at the home church of two of the prisoners, Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer. Church members who had been involved in a prayer vigil joined the staff in whoops and shouts. The pastor raised his arms in the air and shouted, “Thank You, Lord!” When I read of the release of those prisoners, I was reminded of an even more exciting freedom that people can experience—freedom from sin. When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are set free from the penalty and bondage of sin (Romans 6:6,23). The angels are filled with joy (Luke 15:10), and heaven is glad (v.7). The One who made the heavens, Who died on Calvary, Rejoices with His angels When one soul is set free. —Fasick Praise is the language of sinners set free. One-To-One Read: Luke 15:1-7 There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. —Luke 15:10 During His short public ministry of about 3 years, Jesus spent many hours teaching and healing people—one at a time. Although the Savior preached to multitudes in Galilee and Judea and was often surrounded by a great crowd, He was never too busy to minister to men, women, and children one-to-one. One day when a house at Capernaum was filled with people eager to hear the Master’s words, He stopped to give attention to a sick man who had been let down through the roof (Mk. 2:1-12). On another occasion the Savior singled out a man of short stature who had climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Him. Jesus stopped, looked up, and said, “Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Lk. 19:5). Jesus also spent time with individuals in private, teaching them, guiding them, and challenging them to believe in Him (Jn. 3:1-21; 4:1-26). Lord, lay some soul upon my heart, And love that soul through me; And may I nobly do my part To win that soul for Thee. —Tucker The best tact in leading a person to Christ is contact. Joy Over One Read: Luke 15:1-10 There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. —Luke 15:10 Many Christians have succumbed to the false notion that their witness to one individual doesn’t count for much. But that certainly isn’t supported by what we read in the Gospels. Even though Jesus’ public ministry was limited to a little more than 3 years, He was never “too big” to deal with one person at a time. It’s true that Jesus preached to multitudes in Judea, fed 5,000 people gathered by the Sea of Galilee, and ministered to the crowds in Capernaum. Yet, He never lost sight of the value of one soul! How encouraging to read of His conversation at night with an individual named Nicodemus (John 3); of His visit with one woman at the well of Samaria (John 4); and of His personal interest in one little man Zaccheus, who was sitting up in a sycamore tree (Luke 19). How thrilled he must have been when Jesus singled him out of the multitude and said, “Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (v.5). The One who made the heavens, Who died on Calvary, Rejoices with His angels When one soul is set free. —Fasick Never underestimate the value of a single soul. Luke 15:11 And He said, "A man had two sons. KJV Luke 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: Luke 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 15:11-32 The Tale of Two Sons - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Tale of Two Sons - Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Licentious Son - John MacArthur See additional articles at bottom of page THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON This well known title is a bit of a misnomer, as it implies that the story is only about the prodigal son which is clearly not true. While the first section focuses on the younger son's sinful actions, the last section focuses on the older son's sinful reactions. Recall that the background for this parable was the grumbling of the Pharisees and scribes against Jesus because of his willingness to associate with sinners (Lk 15:2). It was this hypocritical, self-righteous reaction of the leaders that Jesus wanted to expose. And so while the prodigal son represents the tax collectors and sinners (Lk 15:1), the petulant son represents the grumbling Pharisees and scribes. The father of the two sons of course represents God. In order to emphasize the importance of the elder brother and the father, some writers have entitled Luke 15:11-32 as the "Parable of the Elder Son" or the "Parable of the Loving Father." Some like John MacArthur actually think "the older brother who is the main focus of the parable." This parable is undoubtedly one of the best known, most memorable of all the parables Jesus told. "Many people consider it the greatest short story ever written. It is a story that speaks perfectly to the human condition." (Pritchard) Gotquestions - The main character in the parable, the forgiving father, whose character remains constant throughout the story, is a picture of God. In telling the story, Jesus identifies Himself with God in His loving attitude to the lost. The younger son symbolizes the lost (the tax collectors and sinners of that day, Luke 15:1), and the elder brother represents the self-righteous (the Pharisees and teachers of the law of that day, Luke 15:2). Rod Mattoon agrees that this parable "is one of the most well-known stories of the Scriptures. The story of the Prodigal Son has been labeled by Bible scholars as the "prince of the parables" or "the pearl and crown" of all the parables of the Bible. The great writer, Charles Dickens praised this story when he said that it was the finest short story ever written....Jesus taught us that God is our Father, and nowhere more so than in the story of the prodigal son. This story, together with the companion story of the older brother, is simply the story of God as Father. He who is known as Jehovah, Adonai, Elohim, El Shaddai, Jehovah-Jireh, the Almighty, the great I AM, is also "Father." In fact, Jesus speaks of God the Father twelve times in twenty-two short verses. If we miss, "God the Father," we miss the whole point of the parable. In this first section of three in this wonderful story, we will see how to go from living high on the hog to living with the hogs. This section is about trouble and tragedy that torments a person when they surrender to temptation. It reveals to us how quickly we can fall, fail, fumble, and flounder when we run away from our Heavenly Father." (Treasures from Luke) Gary Inrig has an interesting introduction - I haven’t lost any sheep, but I have scoured the neighborhood searching for our wandering poodle, with my children in panic at the thought that she may be gone forever. And I have turned the house upside down looking for the diamond that had fallen out of my wife’s engagement ring. We found the dog but not the diamond. But what can compare with the anguish of a parent’s heart over a lost son? There is a horrible panic when an infant vanishes, a different but real panic when a grown child wanders morally or spiritually. The problem in the latter situation isn’t that we don’t know where they are or what they are doing, but that we do. We know they are in the far country, not only wasting their money but wasting their lives. Perhaps it is only a parent in such pain who can enter fully into the mood of this story. (Borrow The Parables : Understanding What Jesus Meant) Leon
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MacArthur writes that "Though a child can grasp the tale, its meaning is probably the most rich and complex of Jesus’ parables. This story deserves more than just a barebones treatment; a mere superficial understanding that fails to grasp the depth and richness of its message....Like the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, this parable depicts God’s joy over the salvation of the lost. But while the first two parables emphasize God’s part in seeking sinners this third one, while touching on God as the seeker, focuses more on the human aspect of salvation—man’s sin, rejection, repentance, and return to God. It is a dramatic, moving story of the sinner’s desperate penitence and of God’s love and eager forgiveness for such sorrow. The story revolves around three characters: the younger son, the father, and the older son and how they acted within a culture whose ethical priority was to seek honor and avoid shame. Told to the protectors of honor and rejecters of shame, this story turns that ethical construct on its head. The younger son appears to be the extreme example of shame by his rebellion against all that is right. Then, in the eyes of the scribes and Pharisees, the father appears more shameful in accepting the son back. To all who understand the story, the older brother is the ultimate exhibition of shame, and he represents the scribes and Pharisees, who believed they were the most honorable and without shame. Those aspects of shame and honor will become clear as the story progresses. (Ibid)
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MacArthur explains "Jesus' point in this story is that doing is more important than mere saying. It is, of course, best for a person to say he will do God's will and then do it. But it is immeasurably better to at first refuse His will and then repent and do it than to hypocritically agree to do it but not. In this context, the doing of God's will relates to acceptance of the gospel, of receiving Jesus as the Messiah and as Savior and Lord." (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23) Two Lost Sons Luke 15:11–32 John Phillips There were two boys. Of the two, the wayward prodigal is by far the most likeable, the most attractive, the most honest and open. Both were equally lost—the prodigal amongst the pigs and the other in his pew. The father loved them both. The context is important. The parable was addressed to two kinds of people, the scribes and Pharisees and the publicans and sinners. The publicans and sinners saw themselves in the prodigal; the scribes and Pharisees, to their rage and scorn, saw themselves in the older brother. 1. The Rebellious Son a. His going-away prayer (“Father, give me”) b. His coming-home prayer (“Father, … make me”) 2. The Religious Son a. His actions betrayed him (“He was angry, and would not go in”) b. His argument betrayed him (“Thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry”) c. His attitude betrayed him (“I,” “me,” “my”) (100 NT Outlines) 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. KJV Luke 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. give me the share of the estate that falls to me Dt 21:16,17; Ps 16:5,6; 17:14 So he divided his wealth between them Mark 12:44 Luke 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 15:11-32 The Tale of Two Sons - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Tale of Two Sons - Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Licentious Son - John MacArthur HIS DEMAND FOR INHERITANCE WAS A PERVERSION OF PRIVILEGE! The younger of them said to his father, Father (pater) give (command - aorist imperative - Do this now! Do not delay!) me the share (meros) of the estate (ousia) that falls (epiballo) to me - Is their a hint of deception in the younger son, for he gives the father no reason for his request? Not only that but he actually commands his father to give him his share! Of course a few days later, the reason becomes obvious! One can imagine the reaction of the listening Pharisees and scribes (who would turn out to be a major target in the depiction of the elder son) who would have been appalled by the thought that a son would shame and dishonor his father with such a brazen demand. In requesting the division of the estate, he showed arrogant disregard for his father's authority as head of the family. While the Pharisees did not know all of the OT, these hypocrites surely knew the fifth commandment to Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. (Ex 20:12) NET Note - The verb honor (see kabad) is a Piel (expresses intensive action) imperative (command); it calls for people to give their parents the respect and honor that is appropriate for them. It could be paraphrased to say, "Give them the weight of authority that they deserve. Next to God, parents were to be highly valued, cared for, and respected." This exhortation was repeated in Leviticus Every one of you shall reverence (literally "fear" but with the sense of "respect" now cowering fear) his mother and his father, and you shall keep My Sabbaths; I am the LORD your God. (Lev 19:3-note). And so the legalists would have seen the younger son's request as flagrant violation of the Torah. In that sense they were not wrong, because basically when one asks for his inheritance from a father who is still alive, it is tantamount to his saying he wished his father was already dead! Furthermore, according to the Mosaic Law the younger son would not have even been entitled to an equal share of the inheritance. Moses records “But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn. (Dt 21:17) In other words, the Mosaic Law said the first born (in this case the elder son) was to receive two-thirds of that given to the younger son, which would be twice as much since there were only 2 sons. In this same passage in Deuteronomy, Moses records punishment for an insolent son (Deut 21:18-21) “If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, 19 then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. 20 “They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 “Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. Keener writes that since "the father grants the request means that most of the hearers will not identify with the father in this parable; from the start, they would think of him as stupidly lax to pamper such an immoral son." (IVP NT Background Commentary) Mattoon - "Give me," he says. Americans used to say, "Give me liberty." Today they just say, "Give me." We do live in a "Give Me" generation today, so there is definitely something here in this story we can apply now. This young man is consumed with SELF. There is nothing more worthless to live for than yourself. It leads to wandering, waste, willfulness, wild living, and woe as we will see in the life of this prodigal son. The repercussions of selfishness can reach far into your future. Charles Dawes stated that President McKinley was considering the appointment of a minister to a foreign country. There were two candidates, their qualifications almost equal. Which one did he appoint? The President related a story of an incident that had decided his choice. Years before, when he was a Representative, he boarded a streetcar one night and took the last vacant seat. Shortly afterward, an old washerwoman entered carrying a heavy basket. She walked the length of the car and stood in the aisle, no one offering her a seat.One of the men, whom the President was to consider later, was sitting in a seat opposite where she was standing. He shifted the paper so as not to see her. Mr. McKinley walked down the aisle, picked up her basket of washing, and gave her his seat. The candidate never knew that this little act of selfishness had deprived him of perhaps the crowning honor of a lifetime. Selfishness will deprive you of honor and blessing, too....His plea was a perversion of privilege. He was viewing the gift of his inheritance as a debt owed to him, and a right that he deserved....If this son lived in our day, his favorite song would probably be, "I Gotta Be Me!" (Treasures from Luke) As MacArthur points out that in the ancient culture where SHAME and HONOR were so important to the people, "Normally a son who shamed himself by making such a request would have been publicly shamed by his father, perhaps disinherited, or possibly even dismissed from the family and considered dead (Ed: notice that twice the father later refers to him as having been dead - Lk 15:24, 32!)" (See Luke Commentary) NIV Study Bible Note - The father might divide the inheritance (double to the older son; see Lk 12:13; Dt 21:17 see note above) but retain the income from it until his death. But to give a younger son his portion of the inheritance upon request was highly unusual. (Borrow Zondervan NIV Study Bible) The Book of Proverbs has a warning that relates to the younger son's desire for his share now (before the father's death)... An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning will not be blessed in the end. (Pr 20:21) Comment: What seems too good to be true often is. This reminds me of our saying modern slang saying "easy come, easy go!" Reformation Study Bible Note - That is, prematurely, before gaining the wisdom to handle it, or by the wrong means. So he divided (diaireo) his wealth (bios - his "living") between them - This would have further shocked the Pharisees who would have expected the father to severely discipline the younger son for shaming and dishonoring him. To there surprise, the father gave the son his share. And assuming that the father is a picture of God, one can see that this is exactly what God does to us at times. We desire something clearly forbidden, so God says "Okay, go for it!" The point is that God gives sinners (ALL OF US) the freedom to choose their (our) sin. Of course the sinner is not free to choose the consequences, as we shall see in the case of the younger son! Thomas Huxley said, "A man's worst difficulties begin when he is able to do just as he likes." Gotquestions - This is a picture of God letting a sinner go his own way (Deuteronomy 30:19). We all possess this foolish ambition to be independent, which is at the root of the sinner persisting in his sin (Genesis 3:6; Romans 1:28). A sinful state is a departure and distance from God (Romans 1:21). A sinful state is also a state of constant discontent. Luke 12:15 says, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” This son learned the hard way that covetousness leads to a life of dissatisfaction and disappointment. He also learned that the most valuable things in life are the things you cannot buy or replace. Mattoon applies this section - Let me say here that you need to be careful what you pray for in your prayers. God may give it to you, not as a gesture of blessing, but as a form of chastisement. Some things that we desire are not good for us. Because you are unwilling to submit to the Lord's will, you may get what you want but lose what you had. Samson got the woman and sex that he wanted with Delilah, but lost the strength that he had. Judas got the silver he wanted, but lost his serenity and the life that he had. Jacob got what he wanted from his father through deception, but lost what he had, having to flee from his home, never seeing his mother again. The prodigal son got what he wanted, but as we will see, he will lose what he had. (Treasures from Luke) Hebrews 11:25 describes the enjoyment of the "passing pleasures of sin." And as we shall see the prodigal's partying produces passing pleasures (emphasis on the word "passing")! The problem is that sin is enslaving for 2 Peter 2:19 speaks of false teachers who are "promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved." In John 8:31 Jesus declared “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin." A little ditty accurately describes the danger to which the younger son was now exposed: Sin will take you further than you ever wanted to stray! Cost you more than you ever dreamed you would pay! Keep you longer than you ever thought you would stay! Leon
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MacArthur has an interesting note on Luke's use of this rare term ousia (only here and Lk 15:13) - Further evidence of the son’s irresponsibility comes from the use of the term ousias (estate), used only here in the New Testament, instead of the usual term for inheritance, klēronomia (Lk 12:13; 20:14; Matt. 21:38; Mark 12:7). Ousias refers to property or material possessions, and its use suggests that he was unwilling to take the responsibility that came with his share of the estate. He evidently was not interested in managing his share for the family’s future good, as those before him had done, but selfishly wanted to liquidate it to use it only for his own pleasure. (See Luke Commentary) Divided (1244)(diaireo from dia = between + haireo = to take, to choose) means to distribute, divide, apportion. To divide into parts, to part, to tear, cleave or cut asunder, (Homer and subsequent writings; Ge. 15:10; 1Ki 3:25). Division between two or more parties, as in Lk 15:12, is the ordinary force of the word. Only other use 1Cor 12:11 "one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills." In the Septuagint - to take apart, tear away, divide; take apart, divide, make a breach. To take apart, to divide Ge 4:7; to divide for oneself (Ex 21:35) to separate Nu 31:42; to dispense Sir 27,25(Josh. 18:5; 1Chr. 23:6). Diareo - Septuagint - Gen. 4:7; Gen. 15:10; Gen. 32:7; Exod. 21:35; Lev. 1:12; Lev. 1:17; Lev. 5:8; Num. 31:27; Num. 31:42; Jos. 18:4; Jos. 18:5; Jos. 22:8; Jdg. 7:16; Jdg. 9:43; 1 Sam. 15:29; 2 Sam. 19:29; 1 Ki. 3:25; 1 Ki. 3:26; 2 Ki. 2:8; 1 Chr. 23:6; 1 Chr. 24:3; 1 Chr. 24:4; 1 Chr. 24:5; Job 21:21; Ps. 68:12; Prov. 16:19; Prov. 17:2; Isa. 9:3; Isa. 30:28; Ezek. 37:22; Amos 5:9 Wealth (property = ESV; assets = NET)(979)(bios English biology) refers to everyday physical life including the daily functions such as our natural preoccupation with food, clothing and shelter (Lk 8:14-note, 2Ti 2:4-note = "everyday life"). There are three ways bios is used in the New Testament, speaking of one's lifetime, of life’s resources (the sense in Lk 15:12), or of the manner of living. BDAG adds that bios refers to "Resources needed to maintain life, means of subsistence, specifically property, worldly goods." (1Jn 3:17-note) NIV translates this phrase as "he divided his property," with a marginal note on an alternate translation "Or living; literally livelihood." MacArthur feels that Jesus' use of bios in this context can refer to "all that the previous generations of the family had produced and handed down to the current generation." Baba Bathra 8 says... 8:1A There are those who inherit and bequeath, there are those who inherit but do not bequeath, bequeath but do not inherit, do not inherit and do not bequeath. B These inherit and bequeath: C the father as to the sons, the sons as to the father; and brothers from the same father [but a different mother], [as to one another] inherit from and bequeath [to one another]. D The man as to his mother, the man as to his wife, and the sons of sisters inherit from, but do not bequeath [to one another]. E The woman as to her sons, the woman as to her husband, and the brothers of the mother bequeath to, but do not inherit [from one another]. F Brothers from the same mother do not inherit from, and do not bequeath [to one another]. 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. KJV Luke 15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. went on a journey 2 Chr 33:1-10; Job 21:13-15; 22:17,18; Ps 10:4-6; 73:27; Pr 27:8; Isa 1:4; 30:11; Jer 2:5,13,17-19,31; Micah 6:3; Eph 2:13,17 he squandered his estate with loose living Lk 15:30; 16:1,19; Pr 5:8-14; 6:26; 18:9; 21:17,20; 23:19-22; 28:7; 29:3; Eccl 11:9,10; Isa 22:13; 56:12; Amos 6:3-7; Ro 13:13,14; 1 Peter 4:3,4; 2 Peter 2:13 Luke 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 15:11-32 The Tale of Two Sons - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Tale of Two Sons - Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Licentious Son - John MacArthur JESUS SHOWS THE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES OF SIN And not many days later - There is a short delay before the younger son begins his downward spiral!
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MacArthur - The younger son’s actions picture the kind of repentance that can lead to salvation. He came to his senses and realized that his situation was desperate. He remembered his father’s goodness, compassion, generosity, and mercy and trusted in them. In the same way, the repentant sinner takes stock of his situation and acknowledges his need to turn from his sin. He realizes that there is no one to turn to except the Father whom he has shamed and dishonored and by faith, with nothing to offer, turns to Him for forgiveness and reconciliation on the basis of His grace. Repentance is the sinner’s part in the process of being restored to God, and there is no true gospel apart from it. The call for sinners to repent is at the heart of all biblical evangelism, beginning in the Old Testament (cf. Ps 32:5; 51:1-4, 14, 17; Isa. 1:16-18; 55:6-7; Ezek. 18:30, 32; 33:19; Jonah 3:5-10). In the New Testament repentance was central to the gospel preaching of John the Baptist (Luke 3:3-9), Jesus (Matt. 4:17; Luke 5:32; 13:3, 5; 24:46-47), the apostles (Mark 6:12), and the early church (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20; 2 Cor. 7:9-11). Repentance must not be misconstrued as a meritorious, pre-salvation work since, though required of the sinner, it must be granted by God (Acts 11:18; Rom. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:25). (See Luke Commentary) Pritchard writes that this "is a parable of your life and of mine. When we have sinned, we are so ashamed to find ourselves in the pig pen that we dare not tell anyone where we are. So we try to clean ourselves up, we try to be presentable, we brush our teeth and comb our hair, but we still have pig slop under our fingernails. Everybody knows we’ve been with the pigs!" This story is for everyone who is tired of eating with the pigs. If you are ready to go home, I’ve got good news for you. The Father is standing in the road waiting for you. His arms are open wide. He knows where you’ve been, and he is still waiting for you. The only thing that matters is for you to come home. That’s what the grace of God is all about. You can come home. You can start over. You can be forgiven. The slate can be wiped clean. You don’t have to live the rest of your life in hiding. You don’t have to live in fear that someone will find you out. You don’t have to eat with the pigs forever. It is possible, and it depends on one thing. You have to do what the Prodigal Son did. You have to come to your senses and say, “Father, I have sinned.” When you do, you will find the mercy that Proverbs 28:13 talks about. When you do, you will discover 1 John 1:9 is true. He is faithful. He is just. He will forgive your sin and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (Luke 15:11-32 Tapped On a Dead-End Street) Ray Pritchard - Second, there was repentance. He said to himself, “I will go back to my father.” Do you know what repentance is? The word means “to change your mind.” Repentance is what happens when you’ve been going one direction and finally you hit the bottom, and you say, “I’ve gone long enough this way. I’m going to turn around, and I’m going to go this way now.” Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of life. It means to change the direction of your life. Third, there was honesty. The young man says, “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” You will know that you are really serious about changing your life when you stop making excuses for your behavior. Think what the prodigal son could have said. “It was really my older brother’s fault. He always picked on me, and Daddy always liked him best.” Or he might say, “If Daddy had given me more money I wouldn’t be in this fix.” Or, “Those cheap women seduced me and then stole my money. And that farmer never gave me a good job.” He could have found a thousand excuses. But he didn’t. He simply said, “I have sinned.” Those three little words—simple, so short, yet so profound—mark the beginning of a new life for this young man. When you stop making excuses for your failures, you are not far from a brand-new life. (Luke 15:11-32 Tapped On a Dead-End Street)
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MacArthur explains "Although he could not take possession of his inheritance until his father died, he was permitted to sell his share (necessarily at a discounted price) to a buyer willing to wait to take possession until the father died (much like investors today buy futures, hedging against the future by paying the purchase price now)." (See Luke Commentary) Keener somewhat contradicts MacArthur's note - Jewish law did permit a father to determine which assets (especially land) would go to which sons before he died, but they could take possession only on the father’s death: the father was manager and received the land’s profits until then. Thus this son could know what would be his but could not legally sell his assets; he does it anyway. (See The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament)
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MacArthur observes "His action symbolizes the foolishness of the sinner trying to flee from God, to whom he does not want to be answerable." (See Luke Commentary) It reminds us of God's prophet Jonah who "rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD" (Jonah 1:3) And how successful was he as escaping the "long arm" of the Lord. This reminds me of Wayne Watson's old song entitled The Long Arm of the Lord which could have been the prodigal son's "theme song!" A million dark alleys you can hide in Dig a tunnel to the center of the earth Convinced you've got nobody to confide in Got you questioning the sum of what you're worth People label you the black sheep of the family Come collect upon your prodigal reward 'Cause you can never outrun Or go beyond the reaches Of the long arm of the Lord And I've been ashamed--I've been humbled and forgiven I've been chastened by my Father's loving hand But still, at times, I go on with my evil It seems to constitute the nature of a man But forgiveness is as close as my confession And my sin amputated by His sword 'Cause you can never outrun Or go beyond the reaches Of the long arm of the Lord If He gave to me all that I deserve This could be my final breath But with compassion in His eyes He's drawing me home Into His arms--Into His tender arms of rest Into His arms of rest There are pagans at the corners of creation Making light of the salvation that we know And with a small, narrow mind I give them over To the passion of the Godless seed they sow But, in truth, we have just as much potential To be Godly and perfected by the Word Cause no one in this world Can slip beyond the reaches Of the long arm of the Lord Never no one in this world Can slip beyond the reaches Of the long arm of the Lord The prophet Isaiah alludes to the loving long arm of the Lord Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Neither is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. (Isaiah 59:1, cf Isa 50:2) There he squandered (diaskorpizo) his estate (ousia) with loose (asotos) living (zao) - Phillips paraphrases it "he squandered his wealth in the wildest extravagance." A graphic description of his wanton pursuit of sinful pleasure. He was spending his fortune thoughtlessly, throwing it away with a debauched (morally corrupt, intemperate, sensual) lifestyle (including prostitutes - Lk 15:30). And keep in mind that what he is squandering is 1/3 of his father's lifetime earnings! The prodigal's lifestyle was not saving him, it was destroying him. Loose (asotos) combined with the word living (zao) describes a debauched life-style. Mattoon - He squandered his estate. He distributed his resources without any system of accounting for the distribution. Does this describe you? If so, you are on the Hog Pen Trail. Get off this path before it is too late. (Treasures from Luke) Keener notes that ancient "Moralists considered squandering very evil." (Ibid) Gary Inrig - He scattered his money like a sower scatters seed, and his crop was dissipation, “wild living.” Sooner or later, choices bring consequences. And so here. The young man runs out of money and into a famine. (Borrow The Parables : Understanding What Jesus Meant) Squandered (1287)(diaskorpizo from dia = an intensifies or denotes separation + skorpízō = to dissipate) means to scatter abroad or disperse. It is used of chaff being scattered to the wind on the threshing floor, meaning to winnow (Mt 25:24, 26). Metaphorically it means to dissipate, squander (Luke 15:13; 16:1). Mattoon says "to winnow, like a person that separates the grain from the chaff by throwing it up high into the air and letting the wind blow away the chaff." This is the way the prodigal son handled his resources. He was throwing away his substance." (Treasures from Luke) Diaskorpizo - 9x in 9v - scattered(6), scattered abroad(1), squandered(1), squandering(1). Matthew 25:24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. Matthew 25:26 "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.' Comment: This passage and Mk 14:27 recall Zechariah 13:7 words that the sheep of the smitten shepherd would be “dispersed” = "“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,” Declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones." Note the sheep that will be scattered is a reference (in context) to the Nation of Israel and not to the Church, which if you accept a pre-tribulation or even a mid-tribulation Rapture, will not present in this time of Jacob's distress (Jer 30:7-note) also known as the Great Tribulation (see notes on Mt 24:15-note and Mt 24:21-note). As MacArthur explains the prophet Zechariah "compressed events of both the First (Zech 13:7) and Second (Zech 13:8, 9) Advents into this brief section. It spoke of Christ's crucifixion (Zech 13:7) and the Jewish remnant at His Second Coming (Zech 13:8, 9). (MacArthur Study Bible) Mark 14:27 And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, because it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.' Luke 1:51 "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 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. Luke 16:1 Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. John 11:52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. Acts 5:37 "After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. Diaskorpizo - 55x in 49v in the Septuagint - to winnow in Ruth 3:2-note; Isa. 30:24. Gilbrant adds "diaskorpizō occurs regularly in the Septuagint where it translates some 12 Hebrew verbs. Nehemiah 1:8 links God’s warning that He would “scatter” unfaithful Israel among the nations to a prophecy given to Moses hundreds of years earlier (see Lev 26:33-note). Their current state at the time of the writing was that of a vanquished, exiled people." Num. 10:35; Deut. 30:1; Deut. 30:3; Neh. 1:8; Job 37:11; Ps. 22:14; Ps. 53:5; Ps. 59:11; Ps. 59:15; Ps. 68:1; Ps. 68:30; Ps. 89:10; Ps. 92:9; Ps. 106:27; Ps. 141:7; Jer. 9:16; Jer. 10:21; Jer. 13:14; Jer. 23:1; Jer. 23:2; Jer. 50:37; Jer. 51:20; Jer. 51:21; Jer. 51:22; Jer. 51:23; Ezek. 5:2; Ezek. 5:10; Ezek. 6:5; Ezek. 10:2; Ezek. 11:16; Ezek. 12:15; Ezek. 20:23; Ezek. 20:34; Ezek. 20:41; Ezek. 22:15; Ezek. 28:25; Ezek. 29:13; Ezek. 46:18; Dan. 4:14; Dan. 9:7; Dan. 11:24; Zech. 1:19; Zech. 1:21; Zech. 11:16 Loose (811)(asotos - cf asotia from a = negative + sozo = save which describes something devoid of saving quality) is used of living in a wild, abandoned manner. Living profligately, dissolutely (unrestrained by convention or morality), recklessly, riotously, loosely. Only here in NT (Hapax legomenon)
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MacArthur says "Sin’s pleasures are fleeting (Heb. 11:25), however, and when the last of his money was gone, the party was over." Willie Nelson sang an old country and western song entitled "The Party's Over," the lyrics of which are not a bad commentary on the prodigal's party.... Turn out the lights The party's over They say that All good things must end! Of course there was nothing "good" about his riotous living, but it indeed came to a screeching halt! A severe (ischuros - strong, powerful, mighty) famine (limos) occurred in that country - NIV = "there was a severe famine in that whole country." NLT = "a great famine swept over the land." The Greek for "in that country" is more literally "down (kata) on the country," and the implication is that the famine was widespread and obviously included the territory where the prodigal was living. Famines were bad enough but Jesus calls this famine "severe" which makes the pauper prodigal's state even more grim than if he had just been penniless. MacArthur - Famine (limos) was a dreaded and deadly scourge that was all too common in the ancient world. Famine drove both Abraham (Gen. 12:10) and Jacob and his family (Gen. 47:4) to seek refuge in Egypt, Isaac to seek refuge in the land of the Philistines (Gen. 26:1), and Ruth and her family to take refuge in Moab (Ruth 1:1). There were famines throughout Israel’s history (2 Sam. 21:1; 1 Kings 18:1-2; 2 Kings 4:38; 8:1; Neh. 5:3; Lam. 5:10; Acts 11:28), often with appalling consequences—including cannibalism (2 Kings 6:25-29). (See MacArthur New Testament Commentary) So the young man had sinned and probably thought he had gotten away with it. However the Bible is very clear about the fact that sins cannot be hidden but that eventually are like chickens that "come home to roost" so to speak (I speak from personal experience!) And so Moses writes But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23) Henry
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MacArthur - His own bad decisions, coupled with the severe external crisis brought about by the famine, brought him to an inconceivable level of desperation. He had forsaken his family, and his so-called friends had forsaken him. He was a stranger in a foreign land, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help. He was penniless, destitute, without resources. Seeking unrestrained pleasure, unabated lusts, and unrestricted behavior, he wound up instead with pain, emptiness on the brink of death. Yet despite his dire circumstances, he was not yet ready to humble himself, return home, seek restoration, and face the consequences of his shameful behavior. Mattoon - Any person who wanders away from God the Father will experience a spiritual famine in his life. (AS A BELIEVER) If you run away from the Lord, our heavenly Father, don't be surprised when you wake up someday and wonder, "Why am I not happy? Why don't I have any joy? Why don't I get my prayers answered? Why am I so cranky? Why am I so bitter and angry? Why do I have constant turmoil and trouble all the time?" The answer may be the fact that you are suffering from spiritual famine and the Lord is trying to bring you back to Himself. You may be on the Hog Pen Trail and not realize it. (Treasures from Luke) Spent (1159)(dapanao from dapane = expense, cost; BDAG says it is from dapto = devour, of wild beasts) means to spend freely Friberg on dapanao - spend (freely); (1) of one's property - spend, waste, use up (Lk 15.14); (2) as spending on someone pay expenses (Acts 21.24; possibly 2 Cor 12.15); (3) figuratively exert great effort, - wear oneself out (possibly 2 Cor 12.15) (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament Gilbrant on dapanao - The most common meaning of this verb is “to spend money.” It is used more broadly, however, to mean spending other things, such as time, energy, or one’s strength. It sometimes has the connotation of wastefulness, of using up everything in excessive indulgence. In classical Greek and in the Septuagint (only in the Apocrypha) it also has the figurative meaning “to wear out, exhaust, or destroy” as in hearts worn out to death, a water supply becoming spent (Judith 11:12), or a burnt offering being spent by the fire (2 Maccabees 1:23). In the New Testament the literal meaning of “spending money” occurs in Acts 21:24 where Paul is asked to pay the temple expenses of four men. It is also used with the bad connotation of wastefulness in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:14). The time came when all his wealth had been spent, obviously wasted indulgently. (See also James 4:3.) Both the broad literal (“spending anything”) and the figurative (“being worn out, exhausted, or destroyed”) were combined in one sentence by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:15 when he said, “I will very gladly spend and be spent (ekdapanaō [1537], an emphatic form of dapanaō) for you.” Dapanao - 5x in 5v - pay...expenses(1), spend(2), spent(2). Mark 5:26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse-- Luke 15:14 "Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. Acts 21:24 take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. 2 Corinthians 12:15 I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. Famine (3042)(limos from leipo = to fall short, be destitute or be in need) can refer to a literal hunger or famine, and in a metaphoric sense one’s mind might be said to be “hungry, starved.” Famines will be part of the end times scenario according to Jesus (Mt 24:7-note, Mk 13:8, Lk 21:11). Famine forced Jacob to take his family to Egypt where he met his lost son Joseph (Acts 7:11, cf Ge 50:20). In Romans 8 Paul assures believers that nothing, including famine "can separate us from the love of Christ." (Ro 8:35-note). In his ministry travels Paul said he was occasionally "in hunger" (2 Cor 11:27). In John's prophecy he saw "an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth." (Rev 6:8-note). In the last NT use of limos, John describes the destruction of Babylon, writing "For this reason (see Rev 18:7) in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong." (Rev 18:8-note) In a metaphorical use in the Septuagint of Amos 8:11 God says "I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD." Zodhiates adds that limos "is spoken of single persons suffering hunger (Luke 15:17; Rom. 8:35; 2 Cor. 11:27; Sept.: Lam. 5:10); of cities or countries experiencing famine, scarcity of grain (Mt. 24:7) where the difference between limoí, famines, and loimoí (3061), pestilences, is that the first is spelled with only i and the second with oi. (Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament) Limos - 12x in 12v - NAS = famine(7), famines(3), hunger(2). Matt 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 4:25; 15:14, 17; 21:11; Acts 7:11; 11:28; Rom 8:35; 2 Cor 11:27; Rev 6:8; 18:8. Limos - 114x in 103v in the Septuagint. Famine was greatly feared in the ancient world and was often a consequence of drought (e.g., Ge 12:10; 26:1) or war (e.g., 2 Ki 6:25; 7:4; 25:3). Gen. 12:10; Gen. 26:1; Gen. 41:27; Gen. 41:30; Gen. 41:31; Gen. 41:36; Gen. 41:50; Gen. 41:54; Gen. 41:56; Gen. 41:57; Gen. 42:5; Gen. 43:1; Gen. 45:6; Gen. 45:11; Gen. 47:4; Gen. 47:13; Gen. 47:20; Exod. 16:3; Deut. 28:48; Deut. 32:24; Ruth 1:1; 2 Sam. 21:1; 2 Sam. 24:13; 1 Ki. 8:37; 1 Ki. 18:2; 2 Ki. 4:38; 2 Ki. 6:25; 2 Ki. 7:4; 2 Ki. 8:1; 2 Ki. 25:3; 1 Chr. 21:12; 2 Chr. 6:28; 2 Chr. 20:9; 2 Chr. 32:11; Job 5:20; Job 18:11; Job 30:3; Job 30:4; Ps. 33:19; Ps. 37:19; Ps. 105:16; Isa. 5:13; Isa. 8:21; Isa. 14:30; Isa. 51:19; Jer. 5:12; Jer. 11:22; Jer. 14:12; Jer. 14:13; Jer. 14:15; Jer. 14:16; Jer. 14:18; Jer. 15:2; Jer. 16:4; Jer. 18:21; Jer. 21:7; Jer. 21:9; Jer. 24:10; Jer. 27:8; Jer. 32:24; Jer. 32:36; Jer. 34:17; Jer. 38:2; Jer. 38:9; Jer. 42:16; Jer. 42:17; Jer. 42:22; Jer. 44:12; Jer. 44:13; Jer. 44:18; Jer. 44:27; Jer. 52:6; Lam. 2:19; Lam. 2:21; Lam. 4:9; Lam. 5:10; Ezek. 5:12; Ezek. 5:16; Ezek. 5:17; Ezek. 6:11; Ezek. 6:12; Ezek. 7:15; Ezek. 12:16; Ezek. 14:13; Ezek. 14:21; Ezek. 34:29; Ezek. 36:29; Ezek. 36:30; Amos 8:11 Related Resources: Torrey Topical Textbook Famine Biblehub topic - Famine (huge list including a number of resources below) American Tract Society Famine Easton's Bible Dictionary Famine Fausset Bible Dictionary Famine Famine - Often sent as visitations from God for sin. 2 Kings 8:1; "the Lord hath called for a famine" (Psalms 105:16), as a master calls for a servant ready to do his bidding. Compare Matthew 8:8-9; contrast Ezekiel 36:29. So associated with pestilence and the sword (2 Samuel 21; 1 Kings 17). The famine in Ruth 1:1 was probably owing to the Midianite devastation of the land (Judges 6), so severe in the Holy Land that Elimelech had to emigrate to Moab, and Naomi his widow returned not until ten years had elapsed. Isaiah 51:19; Jeremiah 14:15; Jeremiah 15:2; Ezekiel 5:12. Defects in agriculture, in means of transit, and in freedom of commerce through despotism, were among the natural causes of frequent famines anciently. Failure of the heavy rains in November and December in Palestine (Genesis 12:10; Genesis 26:1-2), and of the due overflow of the Nile, along with E. and S. winds (the N. wind on the contrary brings rains, and retards the too rapid current) in Egypt, the ancient granary of the world, often brought famines (Genesis 41:25-36; Genesis 41:42). Abraham's faith was tried by the famine which visited the land promised as his inheritance immediately after his entering it; yet though going down to Egypt for food, it was only "to sojourn," not to live there, for his faith in the promise remained unshaken. A record of famine for seven years in the 18th century B.C. has been found in China, which agrees with the time of Joseph's seven years of famine in Egypt. Holman Bible Dictionary Famine and Drought Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Famine Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Famine (2) Famine 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Famine Wikipedia - Famine International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Famine McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Famine The Jewish Encyclopedia Famine Impoverished (be in need) (5302)(hustereo from hústeros = last, latter, terminal, hindmost) has the basic meaning to come too late (in time) or to come after (in terms of space) and thus it means to fail in something, come short of, miss, not to reach. Here hustereo means to want, be without, lack. Gilbrant adds that "Eight of the sixteen New Testament uses of hustereo reflect the concept of “lacking,” or “being in need.” The idea of this verb is "to be left behind in the race and so fail to reach the goal. It means to fall short of the end. It means to be wanting or lacking, to be devoid of something." Jesus used hustereo of the rich young man in Mt 19:20 - Although the rich young man had kept the commandments since his youth, he still sensed some “lack” that would deny him eternal life. Jesus revealed to him that he lacked proper priorities, for he loved his riches more than he loved God (Mark 10:21). Physical needs are amply represented. The Prodigal Son was “in want” when his resources were spent and the famine hit (Luke 15:14). The apostles did not “lack” anything when Jesus sent them out to evangelize (Luke 22:35), and Paul’s “needs” were met by fellow Christians from Macedonia (2 Corinthians 11:9)." Severe (mighty) (2478) (ischuros from ischuo = to be able) is an adjective which means strong, powerful, mighty (usually referring to inherent physical strength), able, forcible. Strong, having moral power. Inherently strong. Ischuros denotes power or ability and places “stress on the actual power that one possesses rather than on the mere principle of power. 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. BGT Luke 15:15 καὶ πορευθεὶς ἐκολλήθη ἑνὶ τῶν πολιτῶν τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης, καὶ ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς ἀγροὺς αὐτοῦ βόσκειν χοίρους, KJV Luke 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. NET Luke 15:15 So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. CSB Luke 15:15 Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ESV Luke 15:15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. NIV Luke 15:15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. NLT Luke 15:15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. So he went Lk 15:13; Ex 10:3; 2 Chr 28:22; Isa 1:5,9,10-13; 57:17; Jer 5:3; 8:4-6; Jer 31:18,19; 2 Ti 2:25,26; Rev 2:21,22 his fields to feed swine Lk 8:32-34; Ezek 16:52,63; Nahum 3:6; Mal 2:9; Ro 1:24-26; 6:22; 1 Co 6:9-11; Eph 2:2,3; 4:17-19; 5:11,12; Col 3:5-7; Titus 3:3 Luke 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 15:11-32 The Tale of Two Sons - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Tale of Two Sons - Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Licentious Son - John MacArthur SERVING THE SWINE So he went and hired (kollao) himself out to one of the citizens of that country - Just imagine the shame he must have felt! For a Jewish man to work for a Gentile was the height of shame and the depth of dishonor! But to feed pigs added insult to injury! An already bad situation was made worse and extremely humiliating.
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MacArthur says "The word hired is a stretch for what Jesus meant, since it translates a form of the verb kollaō, which literally means “glued.” This was not a job contract. He was a beggar and like persistent beggars the world over, he probably latched on to this man and would not let go. To get rid of him, the man would send him to feed the pigs, perhaps with no intention to pay him anything." (Ibid) Mattoon on hired (glued) - This rebel finds a man who has a job opening, even though it is a detestable, dirty, and smelly kind of job. He glues himself to this man. What a picture of folks today that are clinging to the wrong things. They end up wallowing in the wickedness, waywardness, and worldliness of this sinful world. Their wallowing eventually leaves them empty and living in circumstances that are absolutely repulsive. (Treasures from Luke) Feeding pigs would be a detestable job for a Jew Leviticus 11:7 and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. Deuteronomy 14:8 “The pig, because it divides the hoof but does not chew the cud, it is unclean for you. You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses. Isaiah 65:4; Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots. Isaiah 66:17 “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat swine’s flesh, detestable things and mice, Will come to an end altogether,” declares the LORD. He sent him into his fields to feed swine (choiros) - Not exactly the "field of dreams" for a Jewish boy, but a nightmare come true! From the pit of poverty he is thrown into the pen of pigs! Unconfessed sin is like the gift that "keeps on giving." Keener - At this point, Jesus’ Jewish hearers are ready for the story to end (like a similar second-century Jewish story): the son gets what he deserves—he is reduced to the horrendous level of feeding the most unclean of animals. The son is cut off at this point from the Jewish community and any financial charity it would otherwise offer him. (IVP) Today we talk about people going to the dogs. In that day they went to the hogs. Leon
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MacArthur applies this section - The younger son’s behavior exemplifies the sinner’s wretched desires and his predicament graphically illustrates the sinner’s desperate plight. To sin against God is to rebel against His fatherhood, disdain His honor and respect, spurn His love, and reject His will. Unrepentant sinners shun all responsibility and accountability to God. They deny Him his place, hate Him, wish He did not exist, refuse to love Him, and dishonor Him. They take the gifts He has given them and squander them in a life of self-indulgence, dissipation, and unrestrained lust. As a result they find themselves spiritually bankrupt, empty, destitute, with no one to help, nowhere to turn, and facing eternal death. And when all the self-help strategies fail, the sinner hits rock bottom (See The MacArthur Commentary) Ray Pritchard quotes Paul writing "Do not be deceived (present imperative with a negative = stop something already going on, in this case deception - if you are deceived by definition you do not even know it!). God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Gal. 6:7-8+) There will always be a famine in the far country. In the end he lost everything. He ended up with the pigs. This son of a wealthy father has now thrown it all away. He who had it all has lost it all. He who came from a good family now sleeps with the pigs. The prodigal son has hit rock bottom. O, how the mighty are fallen. God often lets that happen because many of us won’t look up until we start to eat with the pigs. When we finally hit rock bottom, then and only then do we begin to think about returning home again. (Trapped On a Dead-End Street ) Hired (2853)(kollao from kolla = glue) means literally to glue, cement, join or fasten together and thus to unite (someone with or to someone or some thing). To fasten firmly together. Kollao is used to describe joining oneself to a harlot in a sexual union in (1Co 6:16). Kollao as in this verse means to attach oneself to a master in a job and thus to hire oneself out as a servant. The derivative verb proskollao is used in Ge 2:24 of Adam becoming "joined (glued) to his wife." Swine (5519) (choiros) refers to a pig, a hog, a poker, a young swine. Pigs were unclean animals to the Jews - Lev 11:7-8-note, Dt 14:8. Most of the NT uses are in the story of Jesus casting out the demons and sending them into the swine (Mt 8:30, 31, 32, Mk 5:11, 12, 13, 16, Lk 8:32, 33-note) To protect themselves from defilement for worship on the Sabbath day, Jews would not even touch pigs. In an act of brazen disrespect to the Jews, the despicable ruler Antiochus Epiphanes raided the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, stealing its treasures, setting up an altar to Zeus, and sacrificing swine on the altar. When the Jews expressed their outrage over the profaning of the temple, Antiochus responded by slaughtering a great number of the Jews and selling others into slavery. He issued even more draconian decrees: performing the rite of circumcision was punishable by death, and Jews everywhere were ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods and eat pig flesh. Gilbrant on choiros - “Swine” were detestable creatures being classified with the dog (cf. Luke 8:32ff.; 15:15). They were considered unclean according to the laws of purification (Leviticus 11:7-8-note). As well, the ancient Canaanites sacrificed and ate them before the gods (Redditt, “Swine,” International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 4:673). Despite their being a popular sacrificial animal among the Greeks at special events, the Old Testament paints them as destructive, undesirable creatures (Psalm 80:13; Proverbs 11:22). The New Testament references to “swine” reflect the Jewish idea that swine were “unclean.” Swine were considered to be worthless by the Jews and an appropriate place for demons to reside once they had been cast out of humans (Matthew 8:32; Mark 5:11-16; Luke 8:32f.). In Matthew 7:6 Jesus may have been quoting a popular proverb concerning discrimination when He said, “Do not throw your pearls to pigs” (NIV; cf. Proverbs 9:7-9). Choiros - 12x in 12v (no uses in Septuagint) - swine (12) Matthew 7:6-note "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 8:30 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. Matthew 8:31 The demons began to entreat Him, saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." Matthew 8:32 And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. Mark 5:11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. Mark 5:12 The demons implored Him, saying, "Send us into the swine so that we may enter them." Mark 5:13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. Mark 5:16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. Luke 8:32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. Luke 8:33 And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 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. 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. Related Resources: Torrey Topical Textbook Swine American Tract Society Swine Easton's Bible Dictionary Swine Holman Bible Dictionary Swine Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Swine Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Swine Smith Bible Dictionary Swine 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Swine International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Swine Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Swine McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Swine The Jewish Encyclopedia Swine What did Jesus mean when He said to not cast your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6)? Why did the Old Testament Law command against the eating of pork? Mattoon - The sentiment of this prodigal son was "I want to be free to do what I want." Yet, his life of wickedness has led to bondage to another man. That is what sin does to a person. Sin doesn't free you, it shackles you. It does not favor you, it slays you. It promises fun, but ends in sorrow. It does not forward your life into blessing, it spawns slips, slides, and it staggers and sinks your character. That's what happens when you runaway from God the Father. This son reached depths of desperation, leading him to loneliness, bleeding him of his blessings, feeding him with fodder, kneading him like dough that is pounded by a baker, and breeding nothing but burdens, and a belly that was empty and dissatisfied. He has lost his home, his food, his so called "friends," and his testimony. The Hog Pen Trail is a bumpy one at that! (Treasures from Luke) Baba Kamma 82b F. At that time they ruled, “It is cursed for someone to raise pigs, and it is cursed for anyone to teach Greek learning to his son.” 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. KJV Luke 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. he would have gladly filled his stomach Isa 44:20; 55:2; Lam 4:5; Hosea 12:1; Ro 6:19-21 no one was giving anything to him Ps 142:4; Isa 57:3; Jonah 2:2-8 Luke 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 15:11-32 The Tale of Two Sons - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Tale of Two Sons - Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 15:11-16 The Licentious Son - John MacArthur Carob Pod THE PRODIGAL SON'S GNAWING HUNGER And he would have gladly (epithumeo) filled (gemizo) his stomach with the pods (keraton) that the swine (choiros) were eating - NET = "He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating (Lk 15:16NET)" There is an old saying "beggars can't be choosy" and he would. When the pigs eat better than the prodigal, the need of the prodigal is great. While he presumably was given some ration from his new master, it fell far short of filling his stomach, for who else but a starving person would long for pig food! And the word have gladly (epithumeo) means he was longing for the pods and the imperfect tense indicates this was a longing which came again and again! And who had allowed him to be brought to such a low state regarding his lost estate? Clearly God, even as a manifestation of His infinite mercy and great kindness had allowed him to be brought to this place of shame, dishonor and great need. This reminds us of Jesus' first beatitude "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 5:3+) Adrian Rogers applies this picture of the prodigal's gnawing hunger writing that "the husks of this world and the swine swill of this world will never satisfy the deepest longing of your heart. It matters not how much money you have, how famous you are, how many friends around you, how handsome, beautiful, charming or witty you may be, down in your heart there is a hunger that only God can meet. Augustine said, "Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee." You may be wearing a mask this morning; but, friend, down in your heart there is a wretchedness if you are without God." We see at least some degree of humility beginning in his mind, for he was now willing to eat the same food the unclean swine ate. Sin will force you to alter your tastes, so that what was once absolutely abhorrent is now gladly welcomed! Epithumeo is the same verb Luke uses in the next chapter describing the rich man and Lazarus who was "longing (epithumeo) to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores." (Luke 16:21+). Mattoon - When a Christian starts to long for and crave the filth of this world, you mark it down, he is heading for pig living and wallowing in the world's pig sty. (Treasures from Luke) No one was giving anything to him - Once his wealth was gone, so were his fair weather friends (friends in italics)! Everyone was in the famine and it was severe. He was a foreigner, a Jew. His reputation may have been sullied by all his partying. The point of the story is that he was running on empty - empty pockets, empty stomach, empty soul! There was only one way and it was to look up, in this case to look to his father. Craig Keener - Animals ate these carob pods raw; people ate them roasted, but depended on them for sustenance only in times of famine. (Some later rabbis remarked that whenever Israel was reduced to eating carob pods, they repented.) no one gave him anything. Moralists commonly observed that those who were friends only for the sake of pleasure would abandon one when the money ran out. A normal ancient story might have ended here, with an obvious moral for listeners: don’t disrespect and abandon your father, or you might end up like this! Yet Jesus’ story continues. (See NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible) Steven
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MacArthur says the son's "empty lifestyle had filled him with remorse for the past, pain in the present, and the bleak prospect of even more suffering in the future as he worked the rest of his life to earn acceptance. But as it turned out, he drastically underestimated his father."
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MacArthur - To the utter amazement of the Lord’s hearers, the details of the story convey that the father took the son’s shame upon himself and then immediately reconciled him to the full honor of sonship. Incredibly, this shameful humbling is seen in his eagerness to reach him, because he ran to meet his son. Middle Eastern noblemen do not run....He (the father) became at that time the object of shame—taking shame on himself to prevent shame on his son. (See Luke Commentary)(Bolding added) NET Note - The major figure of the parable, the forgiving father, represents God the Father and his compassionate response. God is ready with open arms to welcome the sinner who comes back to him. Mattoon - Kissing was an act of forgiveness or acquittal. It was a pledge of reconciliation and peace. What a wonderful reunion. Jesus will embrace you too, if you will put your faith in Him. (Treasures from Luke) MacArthur on repeatedly kissed him - That gesture of acceptance, love, forgiveness, and reconciliation would have further shocked the scribes and Pharisees. Here in this father the Lord Jesus Christ presents Himself, the one who left the glory of heaven, came to earth and bore the shame and humility to embrace repentant sinners, who come to Him in faith, and give them complete forgiveness and reconciliation. (See Luke 11-17 MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Adrian Rogers imagines and applies this incredible scene - The father has never stopped loving him. I picture the father on the porch of the old, family, home place. He is sitting there, thinking of his son. He has been to the mailbox many times, but there is no mail. He had asked strangers, "Have you seen my son?" There is no word. But as he is looking down the old road that runs past the house, with his keen eye he sees a figure, a man walking. He is dressed in rags. He is thin and emaciated. Perhaps, he is riddled with disease. The father's eye recognizes his son. There is something about the gait of that young man, perhaps the way he swings his arms or tosses his head. "That's my boy." And over the banister he goes. I see the old man as he gathers up those robes and runs down that road to meet his son. In the Bible we say that God is never in a hurry and never late. God moves with deliberate majesty. Here's a time, however, that pictures God running. It's the only place I know in the Bible where God is shone to be running. He is literally running to meet this one. He is running to receive him, to gather him into His arms as a son. It is the nature of God the Father to receive. No matter what you have done, how bad you have been, how far away you have gone, how you have disgraced and dishonored your Father, He will receive you back. Jesus said, "Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37KJV) And again the Bible says, "Whosoever will may come." Felt compassion (4697)(splanchnizomai from splagchnon = bowel, viscera) means to experience a deep visceral feeling for someone, to feel compassion for, to feel sympathy, to take pity on someone. Compassion is the sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. This verb expresses an outward flow of one's life in contrast to our natural tendency toward self centeredness. Gilbrant adds this background note on splanchnizomai - Often appearing as splanchneuō in classical literature (in the active form splanchnizō), this term depicts the act of eating the internal organs (splanchna) of a sacrifice (cf. Liddell-Scott). The middle form splanchnizomai means “to feel compassion, pity, mercy.” The splanchna (plural of splanchnon) are the internal organs of an animal or person, such as the heart, liver, or lungs. The “inner parts” were regarded by the ancient Greeks as the site of emotions, thus the verb form emerged. The “inner parts” were especially seen as the source of the emotions of anger and anxiety but also of pity and mercy (ibid.). This verb is used only in the synoptic Gospels. Mt 9:36 describes Jesus "gut reaction" - "Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd." Mark 1:41 uses this verb of Jesus - "Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him (see Mk 1:40), and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Luke uses splanchnizomai two other times Luke 7:13-note When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 10:33-note “But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, Fall upon (1968)(epipipto from epi = upon + pipto = fall) means literally to fall upon (someone) or to press against (Mk 3:10). Epipipto described falling upon in order to embrace, as when the father embraced his repentant prodigal son (Lk 15:20) or as when the Ephesian elders "embraced Paul" knowing this was the last time they would see him (Acts 20:37, cp Acts 20:38, cp Lxx - Ge 45:14 = Joseph "fell on his brother Benjamin's neck" and then in Ge 46:29 Joseph "fell on [Jacob's] neck" and Ge 50:1 he "fell on his father's face."). Epipipto - 13v - Mk. 3:10; Lk. 1:12; Lk. 15:20; Jn. 13:25; Acts 8:16; Acts 10:10; Acts 10:44; Acts 11:15; Acts 13:11; Acts 19:17; Acts 20:10; Acts 20:37; Rom. 15:3 Neck (5137)(trachelos) literally means the neck (or throat Mt 18.6). Trachelos is used in several idioms - (1) Literally to fall on the neck, i.e. embrace, hug (Lk 15.20). (2) To lay one's neck under the executioner's sword, i.e. risk one's life (Ro 16.4). (3) Literally put a yoke on the neck which pictures imposing burdensome rules, load down with obligations (Acts 15.10). Three times Jesus uses the picture of a heavy millstone literally hung around someone's neck if he causes a little one to fall. The idiom fell on one's neck means to embrace and was used in Lk 15:20, Acts 20:37 (Paul and Ephesian elders), Ge 33:4 (Esau and Jacob), Ge 45:14 (Joseph falling on Benjamin's neck) In Joshua 10:24 the phrase "put your feet on the necks of these kings" demonstrates conquest of the enemy. Dt. 31:27 " I know your rebellion and your stubbornness (idiom - literally "stiffness of neck") (cf Jer 7:26, 17:23, 19:15) A neck under the yoke was an idiom describing one country conquered by another (Jer 27:11, 12, see Jer 28:10-14, Jer 30:8). Trachelos - 7x in 7v - Mk. 3:10; Lk. 1:12; Lk. 15:20; Jn. 13:25; Acts 8:16; Acts 10:10; Acts 10:44; Acts 11:15; Acts 13:11; Acts 19:17; Acts 20:10; Acts 20:37; Rom. 15:3 Matthew 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. John MacArthur explains that Jesus "is not referring to physical but to spiritual children. The phrase these little ones who believe in Me makes clear that He has in mind the children He had just spoken of in the phrase "one such child" (Mt 18:5), which refers to the children mentioned in Mt 18:3-4. Jesus is speaking of moral and spiritual stumbling, that is, of sinning. The verb skandalizo (to stumble) literally means "to cause to fall," and the Lord is therefore speaking of enticing, trapping, or influencing a believer in any way that leads him into sin or in any way makes it easier for him to sin. A person who is responsible for causing a Christian to sin commits an offense against Christ Himself as well as against the Christian. In the most vivid and sobering language indicating the seriousness of such an act against one of God's children, Jesus declared that a person who does such a thing would be better off dying a terrible death. It would be better for him, in fact, that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea. Heavy millstone translates mulos onikos, which refers to the large upper millstone that was turned in a grinding process by a donkey and often weighed hundreds of pounds. The Romans sometimes practiced this form of execution by tying a heavy stone around a criminal's neck and dropping him overboard in deep water. Such a pagan form of execution was unimaginably horrible to Jews, perhaps in some respects more fearful even than crucifixion. Yet Jesus said that suffering such a terrifying death would be better than causing even one of His people to sin." (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew 16-23) Mark 9:42 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. 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 (fell on his neck) him and kissed him. Luke 17:2 "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. Acts 15:10 "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? MacArthur - The description of the law as a heavy, chafing yoke was an apt one. Describing the legalism of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus said, "They tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders" (Matt. 23:4; cf. Luke 11:46). It was foolish of the legalists to expect Gentiles to shoulder a burden they themselves found too heavy to bear and rejoiced to be freed from. It was equally fallacious to impose on the Gentiles what had not worked for the Jews. Not one of Peter's Jewish listeners had been saved by the law, purified from their sins by the law, or received the Holy Spirit by keeping the law (cf. Gal. 3:2-3). Since keeping the law could not do any of those vital things for them, why require it of the Gentiles? (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Acts 13-28) Acts 20:37 And they began to weep aloud and embraced (fell on his neck) Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, Romans 16:4 who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; Comment:The phrase "risked their own necks" is literally two Greek words, hupotithemi meaning to place under (as placing one's neck under the executioner's sword) plus trachelos (neck). Paul is referring to "Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus" (Ro 16:3) who placed their own lives in jeopardy to protect Paul. Trachelos - 83x in 81v in the Septuagint - Trachēlos is often used figuratively: of burdens (Ge 27:40), of falling on one’s neck in greeting (Ge 33:4, Ge 45:14; Ge 46:29;), of stubbornness (Dt 10:16; Isa 48:4), of a point of mortal danger (Isaiah 30:28), of personal struggle (Nehemiah 3:5), of victory (Joshua 10:24), and of the place where one wears truth and/or wisdom (Pr 3:3, 3:22, 6:21). Ge. 27:16 = Rebekah "put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his (Jacob's) neck" to deceive Isaac; Ge. 27:40; Ge. 33:4; Ge. 41:42; Ge. 45:14; Ge. 46:29; Deut. 10:16 = "stiffen your neck no longer."; Dt. 28:48 = "He will put an iron yoke on your neck"; Dt. 31:27 " I know your rebellion and your stubbornness (idiom - literally "stiffness of neck"); Deut. 33:29; Jos. 10:24; Jdg. 5:30; Jdg. 8:21; Jdg. 8:26; 2 Chr. 30:8; 2 Chr. 36:13; Neh. 3:5; Neh. 9:16; Neh. 9:17; Neh. 9:29; Est. 5:2; Job 39:19; Job 41:22; Pr 1:9; Pr 3:3; Pr 3:22; Pr 6:21; Song 1:10; Song 4:4; Song 4:9; Song 7:4; Isa. 3:16; Isa. 9:4; Isa. 30:28; Isa. 48:4; Isa. 52:2; Isa. 58:5; Jer. 7:26; Jer. 17:23; Jer. 19:15; Jer. 27:2; Jer. 27:8; Jer. 27:11; Jer. 27:12; Jer. 28:10; Jer. 28:11; Jer. 28:12; Jer. 28:14; Jer. 30:8; Lam. 1:14; Lam. 5:5; Ezek. 16:11; Ezek. 21:29; Dan. 1:10; Dan. 5:7; Dan. 5:16; Dan. 5:29; Hos. 10:11; Mic. 2:3; Hab. 3:13; Genesis 27:16 And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. (Rebekah's deception of Isaac) Kissed (2705)(kataphileo from kata = intensifies the verb + phileo = to love, kiss, cp philos = loved, dear, friend) means to kiss fervently, eagerly . Liddell Scott says "to kiss tenderly, to caress, Xen." The word means he smothered him with kisses. This clearly was not a manifestation of "perfunctory politeness" (L. Morris)
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MacArthur says "The son’s reception is a true illustration of believers, who come in by repentance and faith directed toward God, pleading for His grace and forgiveness apart from works—and receiving full sonship." (Ibid) ILLUSTRATION - Ernest Hemingway wrote a story about a father and his teenage son. In the story, the relationship had become somewhat strained, and the teenage son ran away from home. His father began a journey in search of that rebellious son. Finally, in Madrid, Spain, in a last desperate attempt to find the boy, the father put an ad in the local newspaper. The ad read: "Dear Paco, Meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon. All is forgiven. I love you. Your father." The next day, in front of the newspaper office, eight hundred Pacos showed up. They were all seeking forgiveness. They were all seeking the love of their father. The prodigal wanted forgiveness, like all these boys named Paco. I am no longer worthy (axios) to be called your son - This statement reflects his assessment of himself in light of his shameful behavior. But as the passage soon shows, the father treated him with grace (in this case truly unmerited favor) and not according to what he deserved. Notice that either the son had a change of heart when he saw the father's compassionate reaction or the father interrupted his rehearsed speech so that he did not have time to say Make me as one of your hired men. (Lk 15:19) I have sinned (264)(hamartano) literally means to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize). Hamartano means to act contrary to the will and law of God. His dishonoring of his father was a clear violation of the will and law of God (cf Ex 20:12). Worthy (514) (áxios from ágō = to weigh) strictly speaking means bringing up the other beam of the scales. Having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much. Thus the idea was that which was “equal” or “equivalent." Axios could refer to someone’s “worth” or “value.” A tunic “worth” (“equal to”) six drachmas is an example in the Greek literature from Moulton-Milligan. Gilbrant adds that "Axios presents an interesting picture in the New Testament. In the context of the Kingdom, being “worthy” in a religious sense becomes defined in terms of a response to Jesus. It has nothing to do with deeds or acts that make one worthy. One is worthy because Jesus has made “worth” before God possible (e.g., Mt 10:37 = "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me."). Any “doing” follows rather than precedes “worth”; thus repentance must be demonstrated by fruit corresponding to axios, “bear fruit in keeping with (worthy of) repentance;” (Mt 3:8; Lk 3:8-note). The Cross must be taken up; in other words a total response to Jesus’ message must be demonstrated (cf. the uses of the related adverb axiōs which Paul employed to urge a life-style “worthy” of God; e.g., Eph 4:1; Phil 1:27; Col 1:10; 1 Th 2:12)." (Ibid) All of Luke's uses of axios - Lk. 3:8; Lk. 7:4; Lk. 10:7; Lk. 12:48; Lk. 15:19; Lk. 15:21; Lk. 23:15; Lk. 23:41; Acts 13:25; Acts 13:46; Acts 23:29; Acts 25:11; Acts 25:25; Acts 26:20; Acts 26:31 I'm Sorry Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. —Luke 15:21 A meaningful apology can be the first step toward forgiveness. Colleen O’Connor writes in The Denver Post: “The successful apology dissolves anger and humiliation. It shows respect, builds trust, and helps prevent further misunderstanding. A sincere apology makes it much easier to forgive.” And author Barbara Engel says that a true apology depends on the three Rs: regret, responsibility, and remedy. In Jesus’ story of the prodigal son, the headstrong young man who returned home after squandering his inheritance approached his father with humility and remorse: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). He expressed regret for the pain he had caused, took responsibility for what he had done, and was prepared to work as a hired servant (v.19). As Christians, we have a responsibility to repent and sincerely say “I’m sorry” whenever we wrong another person. In a spirit of humility and love, we can help those who need to forgive us by offering a genuine apology. Have you hurt a friend or brother? Go at once and make things right; From your heart say, "I am sorry." How these words bring God delight! —D. De Haan A heartfelt apology can't change the past, but it can brighten the future. 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; KJV Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him Ps 45:13; 132:9,16; Isa 61:10; Ezek 16:9-13; Zech 3:3-5; Mt 22:11,12; Ro 3:22; 13:14; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:22-24; Rev 3:4,5,18; 6:11; 7:9,13,14; Rev 19:8 put a ring on his hand Ge 41:42; Esther 3:10; 8:2; Ro 8:15; Gal 4:5,6; Eph 1:13,14; Rev 2:17 and sandals on his feet Dt 33:25; Ps 18:33; Song 7:1; Ezek 16:10; Eph 6:15 Luke 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 15:11-32 The Tale of Two Sons - John MacArthur Luke 15:17-24 The Loving Father - John MacArthur Luke 15:22-24 The Tale of Two Sons - Part 3 - John MacArthur Return of the Prodigal Son Murillo PENITENT PRODIGAL CLOTHED WITH THE BEST ROBE But - Don't miss the strategic term of contrast. The son has just stated he was unworthy to even be called his son. BUT (here is the contrast) the father's actions speak "loud words" to the contrary! The father is saying in essence “No, I won’t receive you back as a servant. I’ll receive you as my son.” Those listening to the parable would have been utterly shocked by this turn of events. A son who had dishonored his father and brought shame to the family is now actually being shown favor by being honored as he was in this verse! Mattoon - The father's forgiveness was immediate. That is what grace is all about, beloved. God's forgiveness is immediate and complete when we put our faith in Him. This father not only demonstrates grace to his son, but bestows upon him wonderful gifts that his son did not deserve. Mercy is when we don't get what we do deserve... judgment. Grace is when we receive what we do not deserve, God's gift of eternal life. (Treasures from Luke)
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MacArthur says the ring was the "father’s signet ring, which bore the family crest and was used to stamp the wax seal on documents to authenticate them. It signified the father’s bestowing of privileges, rights, and authority on his son." Sandals (hupodema) on his feet - The fact that he was barefoot attested to his destitute state in the far country. Poor people in the Near East often could not even afford sandals. As MacArthur says "Just as the son returned to his father with nothing, so repentant, empty-handed sinners approach their heavenly Father, who justifies not the self-righteous, but the ungodly (Ro 4:5)." Mattoon - Shoes signified that a man was a freeman and a master of the house, for slaves went barefoot and guests removed their shoes upon arrival. These shoes are another symbol of the son's position in the home. He is not a slave, but a beloved son. The son did not deserve any of these gifts, but the grace of the father bestowed them upon him. We do not deserve God's wondrous gift of salvation, but because of His love and grace, we enjoy them. (Treasures from Luke) Gotquestions - All these things represent what we receive in Christ upon salvation: the robe of the Redeemer's righteousness (Isaiah 61:10), the privilege of partaking of the Spirit of adoption (Ephesians 1:5), and feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, prepared to walk in the ways of holiness (Ephesians 6:15) Notice the parallels of the father's reception of his son and Pharaoh's reception of Joseph... Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. (Ge 41:42) Leon
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MacArthur comments that "The father’s giving the robe and ring to his younger son would have shocked Christ’s hearers. They knew that the robe and the ring by rights should have gone to the older brother. He would have first worn the father’s formal robe at his own wedding—the single greatest event that could happen in a family. He should have received the ring as a symbol of his right as the firstborn to act on behalf of his father. But now, incredibly, his father had given them to his younger brother. Such lavish love and grace bestowed on a penitent, trusting sinner is incomprehensible to the legalistic mind. Legalism hates grace." (See Luke Commentary) Sandals (5266)(hupodema from hupodeo = to bind under) means a sloe bound under (the foot). To unbind someone's sandals is an expression which implies deep humility since this was usually done only by menial servants. And so John said "I am not fit to remove His (referring to Jesus) sandals." (Mt 3:11, cf Mk 1:7, 3:16, Jn 1:27, Acts 13:25). Gilbrant adds "This is the primary word for shoes. It is related to the verb hupodeomai (5102), “to bind under.” In the nonbiblical writings this word is used for sandals, shoes, and half-boots (see Liddell-Scott). These were generally leather soles fastened to the foot by means of straps." Hupodema - 10x in 10v - Matt. 3:11; Matt. 10:10; Mk. 1:7; Lk. 3:16; Lk. 10:4; Lk. 15:22; Lk. 22:35; Jn. 1:27; Acts 7:33; Acts 13:25 Hupodema - 26x in 26v in the Septuagint - Ge. 14:23; Ex 3:5 = "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."; Exod. 12:11 = "Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded [which is what the father had to do to run to meet the prodigal], your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste–it is the LORD’S Passover."; Dt. 25:9; Dt. 25:10; Deut. 29:5; Deut. 33:25; Jos. 5:15; Jos. 9:5; Jos. 9:13; Ruth 4:7-8; 1 Sam. 12:3; 1 Ki. 2:5; Ps. 60:8; Ps. 108:9; Song 7:1; Isa. 5:27; Isa. 11:15; Ezek. 24:17; Ezek. 24:23; Dan. 3:21; Amos 2:6; Amos 8:6; There was a unique custom in Israel in the OT related to the removal of one's sandal Ruth 4:7-8-see notes - Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 8So the closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. Deuteronomy 25:9 then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall declare, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 “In Israel his name shall be called, ‘The house of him whose sandal is removed.’ MacArthur on Dt 25:5-10 - Levirate marriages (from Latin, levir, "husband's brother" or "brother in law") provided that the brother of a dead man who died childless was to marry the widow in order to provide an heir. These were not compulsory marriages in Israel, but were applied as strong options to brothers who shared the same estate. Obviously, this required that the brother be unmarried and desired to keep the property in the family by passing it on to a son. Cf. Lv 18:16; 20:21 where adultery with a living brother's wife is forbidden. Though not compulsory, this practice reflected fraternal affection, and if a single brother refused to conform to this practice, he was confronted with contempt and humiliation by the elders (ED: SANDAL REMOVED AND SPIT IN FACE - RECALL THE ANCIENT CULTURE WAS ONE OF SHAME/HONOR). The perpetuation of his name as a member of the covenant people witnessed to the dignity of the individual. Since Nu 27:4-8 gave daughters the right of inheritance when there were no sons in a family, it is reasonable to read "no child" rather than "no son" in v. 5. Cf. Tamar, Ge 38:8-10, and the Boaz-Ruth marriage, Ru 4:1-17. (MacArthur Study Bible) NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible - The Family of the Unsandaled. Sandals of various types were worn in Canaan, Syria and Mesopotamia from the most ancient times. They could be used in a symbolic way at Nuzi, perhaps as token payments. At Nuzi the seller removed his foot from a piece of land he was selling and placed the buyer’s foot in its place. Then shoes were transferred. A pair of shoes and garments are presented as a fictitious payment to “accommodate” some unusual transactions. The brother-in-law (here) who refused to honor his dead brother by preserving his seed and inheritance brought shame on himself and his house. Honor, shame and covenant relations were central concerns in the ancient Near East. NET Note - The removal of the sandal was likely symbolic of the relinquishment by the man of any claim to his dead brother’s estate since the sandal was associated with the soil or land (cf. Ruth 4:7–8). Spitting in the face was a sign of utmost disgust or disdain, an emotion the rejected widow would feel toward her uncooperative brother-in-law (cf. Num 12:14; Lev 15:8). Luke 15:23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; KJV Luke 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: Bring the fattened calf Ge 18:7; Ps 63:5; Pr 9:2; Isa 25:6; 65:13,14; Mt 22:2-14 Luke 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 15:11-32 The Tale of Two Sons - John MacArthur Luke 15:17-24 The Loving Father - John MacArthur Luke 15:22-24 The Tale of Two Sons - Part 3 - John MacArthur A CELEBRATION INSTEAD OF A FUNERAL Gotquestions - Had the boy been dealt with according to the Law, there would have been a funeral, not a celebration. “The Lord does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” (Ps 103:10-13). Instead of condemnation, there is rejoicing for a son who had been dead but now is alive, who once was lost but now is found (Romans 8:1; John 5:24). Note the parallel between “dead” and “alive” and “lost” and “found”—terms that also apply to one’s state before and after conversion to Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5). This is a picture of what occurs in heaven over one repentant sinner (Luke 15: 7, 10). Bring the fattened (siteutos) calf, kill it and let us eat and celebrate (euphraino) - "The calf of the stall." The "prize calf" that was grain fattened and was reserved for special occasions, usually religious celebrations. In a sense, this was a "religious" celebration of a dead son who was now alive! Abraham called for such a celebration when "the LORD (Jehovah) appeared to him" (Ge 18:1), mostly likely a Christophany (see Angel of the LORD, Note that His prophecy in Ge 18:10 identifies this "Man" as a pre-incarnate appearance of Jehovah)... Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. (Ge 18:7) Craig Keener on fattened calf - fattened calf. Would feed the entire village. Calves would be fattened with a special occasion in mind, such as a wedding, a son’s coming of age, or some other celebration beyond the purview of the parable. A fattened calf offered more meat than a young goat (Lk 15:29). (See NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible) Leon Morris on the fattened calf - The fatted calf was clearly an animal carefully looked after for some special occasion. Its use now shows that the father felt that there could scarcely be a more special occasion than this. (Borrow The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary)
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MacArthur explains that "For years that older rebel had managed to conceal his true feelings of resentment toward his father and brother. All along, though, he had been wicked like his brother, only inwardly, not outwardly. But this event exposed his real attitude. In a burst of public display from long-cultivated private hatred, he became angry and was not willing to go in to celebrate with the others. He could not rejoice over the recovery of his lost brother because he had no love for his father. He failed to understand unmerited favor, free forgiveness, and deliverance from shame by the actions of the offended one endowed with the authority to forgive." (See Luke Commentary) Leon
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MacArthur applies this to the Jews - Although the father retained control over the estate, he had already given it to his son. Here is a picture of God’s magnanimity, especially to the Jews, who were given the Scripture, the most generous common grace, and years of gospel opportunity (cf. Rom. 9:4-5). God’s riches were given in greatest abundance and clarity to the Jews, and especially those very leaders who prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture. (See Luke Commentary)
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MacArthur explains "The ending simply isn’t there. We’re supposed to notice that. Since the story stops abruptly with such a tender appeal, every hearer ought to take that plea to heart, meditate on it, personalize it, and see the gentle reasonableness of embracing the father’s joy in the salvation of sinners. And, frankly, no one needed that sort of honest self-examination more than the legalistic scribes and Pharisees to whom Jesus told the story. The parable was an invitation first of all for them to forsake their pride and self-righteousness and reconcile with God’s way of salvation. But furthermore, the same principle applies to everyone else, too—from wanton sinners like the Prodigal Son to sanctimonious hypocrites like the elder brother, and all kinds of people in between. Thus everyone who hears the story writes his or her own ending by how we respond to the kindness of God toward sinners....Don’t forget that Jesus told this parable—including the abrupt ending—chiefly for the benefit of the scribes and Pharisees. It was really a story about them. The elder brother represented them. The hanging resolution underscored the truth that the next move was theirs. The father’s final tender plea was Jesus’ own gentle appeal to them. (See Luke Commentary) J C
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MacArthur - The younger son symbolizes those who seek God’s salvation by grace, the older son those who seek salvation by works....The invitation to be part of the great celebratory banquet is still open to all. It extends even to you, dear reader. And it doesn’t matter whether you are an open sinner like the Prodigal Son, a secret one like his elder brother, or someone with characteristics from each type. If you are someone who is still estranged from God, Christ urges you to acknowledge your guilt, admit your own spiritual poverty, embrace your heavenly Father, and be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:20). And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17) Now, enjoy the celebration (See Luke Commentary) Leon
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MacArthur - The Prodigal Son (see 40 Lives in 40 Days: Experiencing God’s Grace) And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” LUKE 15:21 The parable of the prodigal son is perhaps the greatest short story ever told. The character of the younger son—the Prodigal—has much to teach us about our plight as sinners and the unfathomable grace of God. When we are first introduced to the younger son in Jesus’ parable, the picture painted is that of a young man, probably in his teens and obviously filled with shameless disrespect for his father. For a son in that culture to request his inheritance early was tantamount to saying, “Dad, I wish you were dead. You are in the way of my plans. I want my freedom. And I want out of this family now. I have other plans that don’t involve you, this family, or this estate. I want nothing to do with any of you. Give me my inheritance now, and I am out of here.” Faced with such a request, any self-respecting father in that culture would have felt he had to disgrace the son as publicly as possible. After all, it was the only way to avoid allowing the boy to bring a lasting reproach against the family’s good name. Instead, the father in this parable “divided to them his livelihood” (Luke 15:12). It didn’t take long for the real agenda behind the Prodigal’s defiance to become clear: “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living” (v. 13). When the Prodigal arrived in the far country, he was a fat cat with a big bankroll. You can bet every con artist and lowlife in town set their sights on him. But whatever “friends” the Prodigal made in the pursuit of such a lifestyle were no true friends at all. When he ran out of cash, they were nowhere to be found. Right after the Prodigal spent himself broke, “there arose a severe famine in that land” (v. 14). Here was an absolutely devastating turn of events. Consider how hard it must have hit the Prodigal. His father had met his every need and supplied him with every amenity from the day he was born. Now not only had the life of pleasure he sought come to a screeching halt, but also it was suddenly clear to him that the life of freedom he thought he would find was nothing like he anticipated. Before long, the Prodigal found himself feeding swine—virtually the lowest and most possibly degrading chore in the whole hierarchy of labor. As he watched the pigs greedily devouring the carob pods he gave them, he found himself earnestly longing to fill his own stomach with the swine food. It was at this low point that he finally came to his senses and decided to return to his father’s home, not as a son—he had behaved too wretchedly for that—but as a servant. As he drew near, the Prodigal must have rehearsed his plea dozens, maybe hundreds, of times: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants” (vv. 18–19). But as he drew closer to his family’s estate, he saw something in the distance—his own father, running toward him. We can safely imagine that the father had been looking steadily, scanning the horizon daily, repeatedly, for signs of the boy’s return. How else could he have seen him while he was still a long way off? The father clearly wanted to reach the Prodigal before the boy reached the village—apparently to protect him from the outpouring of scorn and criticism he would surely have received if he walked through that village unreconciled with his father. The father himself would bear the shame and take the abuse instead. When the father spied his beloved lost son, he gathered up the hem of his robe and took off in a most undignified manner, truly eager to initiate forgiveness and reconciliation. This is indeed a fitting picture of Christ, who humbled Himself to seek and to save the lost—and then “endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). (40 Lives in 40 Days) Like this father, He willingly took upon Himself all the bitter scorn, the contempt, the mockery, and the wrath our sin fully deserves. He even took our guilt upon His own innocent shoulders. He bore everything for our sake and in our stead. What parallels do you see between your own attitudes and those of the prodigal son at the parable’s beginning? Reexamine the son’s planned speech upon returning home. Does your heart reflect the same estimation of your standing before God? Why or why not? What does Jesus’ characterization of the father in His parable tell you about God’s disposition toward undeserving sinners? LESSON FROM THE PRODIGAL - Matthew