Lucas 15

Lucas 15

Lenski says "The slight delay is a fine touch; after the inward separation there comes the outward." (The Interpretation of St. Luke's Gospel) On the other hand it was not many days, emphasizing that the son wanted to live the way he wanted and not like he would have to live in the father's house. Mattoon adds "The life of the father was a restraint on the rebellion and wretchedness of this son. This is why people get out of church, because it restrains their flesh. Evil is not comfortable around godliness. If a church is truly preaching the Bible, sinners will be uncomfortable in the service." (Treasures from Luke) The younger son gathered everything together - The verb gathered together (sunago) in this context means to gather things together and turn them into cash. Gilbrant writes that sunago in the "The nonliterary papyri offers an illustration of sunagō in relationship to money or goods. “The verb is frequently used of the total amount, the full sum, received by sale or by purchase” (Moulton-Milligan). For example, in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) it is possible that the “prodigal converted his goods into money, sold all off and realized their full value, rather than that he ‘gathered all together’ to take with him." That would certainty facilitate his ability to squander the inheritance. Leon Morris on gathered everything together - He gathered all he had: he left nothing that would serve as an anchor and bring him back in due course. He cut his ties with home (or so he thought). Have you ever tried to run from God? Most of us have. And so this story is for us. (Borrow The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary)