Luke 15King James Version
Three parables of the lost. The lost sheep: ninety nine left to find one. The lost coin: a woman lights a candle and sweeps the house. The lost son: the prodigal who took his inheritance to a far country and wasted it on riotous living. He came to himself and went home. While he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Bring forth the best robe. This my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
Tax collectors and sinners are gathering to hear Jesus, and the Pharisees and scribes grumble about it. Jesus responds with three parables. A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to find one lost one and throws a party when he finds it. A woman loses one of ten coins, searches until she finds it, and throws a party. A man's younger son demands his inheritance, wastes it, hits rock bottom feeding pigs, comes to his senses, and heads home. His father runs to meet him before he finishes his speech. The older son refuses to come in.
Heaven's joy over one sinner returning is so excessive it throws a party, and the main obstacle in all three stories is not the lost ones but the ones who cannot understand why anyone would celebrate their return.
20: "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." The father is running. In the ancient Near East, a man of dignity did not run. The embrace is scandalous before a word is spoken.
The younger son's decision to feed pigs is Luke's signal to a Jewish reader that the degradation is total. Pigs were ritually unclean, and herding them was below what any self-respecting Israelite would accept. That the son is still starving while tending them makes the point sharper: the Gentile world has nothing to offer him. He comes to himself among the pigs.
The Pharisees and scribes, grumbling; the shepherd who counts his flock and comes up one short; the woman who sweeps her whole house for one coin; the younger son who rehearses his speech on the way home; the father who interrupts it; the older son, who has been faithful and furious the whole time.
The older son is the unresolved figure in the chapter. The story ends before he comes in or stays out. He represents every person who has done everything right and resents grace extended to those who did not. Luke places the parable as a direct answer to the Pharisees' grumbling. They are the older son, and the question is whether they will come to the party.
For when you have come to your senses after making a ruin of things, and you are still rehearsing your apology on the way. The father sees you while you are still a great way off.
1Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
3And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4What 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?
5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
8Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
9And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.
10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
11And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12And 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.
13And 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.
14And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22But 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:
23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.