Lucas 15
Peter Chrysologus · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Lucas 15:11
"He had two sons," that is, two peoples, the Jews and the Gentiles. Prudent knowledge of the law made the Jewish people his older son, and the folly of paganism made the Gentile world his younger son. Just as surely as wisdom brings distinguished gray hairs, so does foolishness take away the traits of an adult. Morals and not age made the Gentiles the younger son. Not years but understanding of the law made the Jews the older son. — SERMON 5
Lucas 15:12
"He divided his means between them." The son is as impatient as the father was kind. He is weary of his father's own life. Since he cannot shorten his father's life, he works to get possession of his property. He was not content to possess his father's wealth in company with his father, and he deserved to lose the privileges of a son.Let us make some inquiries. What reason brought the son to such actions? What bold prospect raised his spirits to make so startling a request? What reason did he have? Clearly the Father in heaven cannot be bounded by any limit, or shut in by any time, or destroyed by any power of death. The son could not await his father's death to get his wealth, so he conceived the desire to get his pleasure from the generosity of his father while he was still alive. The father's bounty proved that the insult lay in his request. — SERMON 1
Lucas 15:15
"He went and joined one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his farm to feed swine." This is the experience that comes to one who refuses to trust himself to his father but delivers himself to a stranger. He flees from a most generous provider and endures a severe judge. A deserter from affection, a refugee from fatherly love, he is assigned to the swine, sentenced to them, and given over to their service. — SERMON 1
Lucas 15:16
He wallows in their muddy fodder. The rush of the restless herd bruises and soils him so he perceives how wretched and bitter it is to have lost the happiness of peaceful life in his father's house. — SERMON 1
Lucas 15:20
The father runs out from far away. "When we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The Father runs out. He runs out in his Son, when through him he descends from heaven and comes down on earth. "With me," the Son says, "is he who sent me, the Father." He "fell upon his neck." He fell, when through Christ the whole divinity came down as ours and rested in human nature. When did he kiss him? When "mercy and truth have met each other, justice and peace have kissed." — SERMON 5
Lucas 15:20
"He fell on his neck and kissed him." This is how the father judges and corrects his wayward son and gives him not beatings but kisses. The power of love overlooked the transgressions. The father redeemed the sins of his son by his kiss, and covered them by his embrace, in order not to expose the crimes or humiliate the son. The father so healed the son's wounds as not to leave a scar or blemish upon him. "Blessed are they," says Scripture "whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." — SERMON 3
Lucas 15:21
He now comes back to his Father and cries, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you." Every day in its prayer, the church testifies that the younger son has returned to his Father's house and is calling God his Father. [The church] prays, "Our Father, who art in heaven," "I have sinned against heaven and before you." — SERMON 5
Lucas 15:22
"He gave the best robe," that which Adam lost, the everlasting glory of immortality. "He put a ring upon his finger." That is the ring of honor, the title of liberty, the outstanding pledge of the spirit, the seal of the faith, and the dowry of the heavenly marriage. Hear the apostle: "I engaged you to one spouse, that I might present you a chaste virgin to Christ." "And sandals on his feet, etc." This is so that his feet might be in shoes when he preached the gospel, for "how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace." — SERMON 5
Lucas 15:22
"Give him a ring for his finger." The father's devotion is not content to restore only his innocence. It also brings back his former honor. "And give him sandals for his feet." He was rich when he departed, but how poor he has returned! Of all his substance, he does not even bring back shoes on his feet! "Give him sandals for his feet" that nakedness may not disgrace even a foot and that he may have shoes when he returns to his former course of life. — SERMON 3
Lucas 15:23
"And he killed for him the fattened calf." About that David sang: "And it shall please God better than a young calf, that brings forth horns and hoofs." The calf was slain at this command of the Father, because the Christ, God as the Son of God, could not be slain without the command of his Father. Listen to the apostle: "He who has not spared even his own son but has delivered him for us all." He is the calf who is daily and continually immolated for our food. — SERMON 5
Lucas 15:25
The older brother, the older son coming from the field, the people of the law, hears the music and dancing in the Father's house, yet he does not want to enter. "The harvest indeed is abundant, but the laborers are few." Every day we see this same thing happen with our own eyes. The Jewish people comes to its Father's house, the church. It stands outside because of its jealousy. It hears the harp of David echoing, and the music from the singing of the psalms, and the dancing carried on by so many assembled races. It does not wish to enter. Through jealousy, it remains outside. In horror, it judges its Gentile brother by its own ancient customs, and meanwhile, it is depriving itself of its Father's goods and excluding itself from his joys. — SERMON 5
Lucas 15:31
"All that is mine is yours." How is this? The law, prophecy, temple, priesthood, sacrifices, kingdom, and the gifts are for you. This is the greatest gift of all: Christ was born. Since you through your jealousy wish to destroy your brother, you are no longer worthy to possess your Father's banquets and joys. — SERMON 5
Lucas 15:31
The Father steps outside and says to his son, "Son, you are always with me." How is he with his son? In the person of Abel, Enoch, Shem, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and all the holy men from which stems Christ's Jewish lineage read in the Gospel when it says, "Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob," and so on. — SERMON 5