Luke 15

Chap. XV. Ver. 1—10. The parables of the lost sheep, and of the piece of silver — Whether our Lord supped with any company, which the Pharisees were pleased to denominate sinners, (probably meaning Gentiles,) on the evening after he had dined with the wealthy Pharisee; or whether it was on some other occasion, we know not, nor is it material to inquire. We know that the Pharisees seldom thought any one fit to associate with, but their own party; and we know also that our Lord preferred penitent publicans, sinners, and harlots, before self-righteous hypocrites. Moreover, he frequently inculcates upon them this obvious and important truth, that he was sent—not to call the righteous, as they professed to be, but sinners to repentance; for (as he also told them) “the whole need not a physician, but those only that are diseased:”

it would therefore be throwing away both time and labour to attempt the conversion of persons so good and holy as they rea able themselves to be—“Stand by, for I am holier than But to attend to the parables before us. A sheep-owner having a flock of a hundred sheep feeding in the pastures of the desert, and missing one only, flies to seek it in the adjoining mountain, and having found it, naturally testifies more joy in that than in all the flock which had not strayed. So a woman, having ten pieces of silver, and losing one, seeks it with unwearied diligence, and having found it, calls together her female friends and neighbours to rejoice with her; not, surely, over what she had not lost, but over what it had cost her so much trouble and anxiety to recover.

So there is joy in heaven, not over spotless angels that never sinned, but over sinners of the human race brought back to God. This joy is said to be in heaven, in the presence of the angels; but what share the angels take in it is not distinctly stated. In the first place, God himself is represented as rejoicing with singing over his redeemed ones; ((Zephaniah 3:17)) and when God is pleased to communicate to his celestial hosts, whether saints or angels, that in which he takes delight, there can be no doubt but they must rejoice also, and tune their harps and voices to songs of gratitude and praise. Ver. 11—32. The parable of the Prodigal Son.—Among the Hindoos it is not only customary, as Mr.

Halhed (in his Code of Gentoo Laws) informs us, for a father to divide his inheritance among his children in his lifetime, but the sons can, if they unite, insist on it. How far such a custom might be known among the Jews we are unable to ascertain; but as our Lord’s parables are always in harmony with the laws and customs of the times, we have no doubt but something of the kind, at least occasionally, obtained. As to the interpretation, that this parable may have a primary reference to the Jews and Gentiles, we shall not dispute; the former boasting themselves of having adhered to the worship of the one true God, and the latter having ran into all the sins and follies of promiscuous and multifarious idolatry, until at last they were reduced to the extreme of moral poverty and wretchedness.

We must confess, however, that we consider the design of our Lord as more general, and much in harmony with that of the two short parables preceding, namely, to show the readiness with which the Almighty receives all true penitents on their returning to him. “The interesting parable before us, (says Mr. Ward, late Missionary at Serampore,) relates the history of a profligate youth brought to repentance. After obtaining his fortune, he wanders from home, and wastes it in riotous living. Thus do men abuse divine mercies, and devote their time, their strength, their faculties, to the service of the great destroyer. Reduced to want, the prodigal is driven to extremity. And thus God frequently afflicts men in order to humble them, and bring them to themselves: that is, to know their state, and the ruin that must follow—To perish with hunger!

Sinking almost into despair, the prodigal bethinks himself of his father’s house, pre of the happiness of those who are even servants there. When the sinner is thus awakened, he is drawn by the Divine Spirit to look toward an injured and forsaken, though merciful God; and he resolves to try the divine goodness—“I will arise, and go to my Father.” He not only resolves, but acts up to his resolution. When the returning prodigal was seen yet a great way off, but in the act of returning, the father’s bowels [were] over him, and he runs to meet him, and falls on his neck, and kisses him. How is the tender mercy of God here set forth! What encouragement to return, notwithstanding all that a guilty conscience and unbelief may suggest!

The sinner brings with him a broken heart, a sense of his errors and of his unworthiness; and the father buries all in immediate, in everlasting oblivion. He puts on him the garment of salvation, the robe of righteousness, and all heaven rings with joy. A soul is rescued from ruin, made capable of happiness, and the divine mercy is eminently glorified.” We must not, however, leave this parable without noticing the conduct of the elder brother, in which we find a lively description of the proud and self-righteous Pharisees. At the time of the prodigal’s return, his brother appears to have been at his labours in the field; and the first intimation he receives of it is by the sound of music and of dancing; but had it been the music of angels, it would have afforded no pleasure to him when he came to find the cause.

The first thing which here strikes us is, the different style in which these brothers address their common parent. “Father,” (says the penitent,) “I have sinned against heaven and before thee.” He becomes now sensible that he had not only offended his earthly father, but his heavenly; and the penitence of a prodigal can never be depended on till he becomes sensible of his sin against God, as well as his deficiency of filial duty. “As to the father, he is represented as every way amiable and respectable, but he is unhappy in his children. The one profligate, the other proud and haughty: but both disobedient. ‘This thy son!’ said the elder as disowning him for a brother, however the father might own him as a son.

And then he complains that his father, while he had made this rejoicing for his younger son, had shown no testimony of regard for what he was pleased to consider his own meritorious services. This was exactly the case with the Scribes and Pharisees. ‘This man (said they) receiveth sinners, and eateth with them;” but, as for us, he never sits down with us but to reprove us. The tenderness of the father is no less conspicuous toward the elder than the younger son. He does not say, as he might have done, “I have a right to do as I will with my own,” or threaten to disinherit the angry murmurer; but he attempts to conciliate him by gentle reasoning, as if he had said, “Consider, son, it was meet that we should rejoice, for thy lost brother (whom, probably, he had lamented with much hypocrisy) is now found: and he whom we had considered as long since dead—behold, he is now alive!

Besides, what is it to bestow a calf or a garment on such an occasion? Thou art always with me, and if thou dost not forfeit it by thy rebellion, remember thou art the eldest son, and all that I have is thine.”

Notes on the verses

Ver. 34. Salt is good.—Common salt, or muriate of soda, consists of soda in combination with muriatic acid, and is for the most part an artificial preparation from sea water, though found in some countries in a solid and massive state. That it might lose its strength, we have proof from Maundrell, who states, that in the Valley of salt he broke a piece which had been exposed to the rain, sun, and air, and it had perfectly lost its savour.—Bagster.

Chap. XV. Ver. 4. Leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness—Or desert. It is certain that in many parts, commonly called desert, in Judea, and even Arabia, there are spots of very fertile pasture, which, as they are not their flocks. Compare (Matthew 18:12), and note.

Ver. 7. Just persons, which need no repentance.—As there is “not a man upon earth that sinneth not,” (Ecclesiastes 7:20), so there can be none who strictly speaking, “need no repentance:” but as our Lord is arguing with the Jews upon their own principles, he may fairly be supposed to allude to those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” (Luke 18:9).—The Saviour’s language in this is exceedingly ironical—as elsewhere, the whole need not a physician, &c.; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The Saviour teaches, that there is more joy in heaven over one true penitent, than over any number of self-righteous men, who, according to their own estimate of themselves, need no repentance.

eyes, but who have never been washed from their wickedness.

Ver. 9. Her friends.—The Greek is feminine, a friends.

Ver. 12. His living.—Rather, “living,” or the means of livelihood to each. It appears, however, that the elder son did not take his share of the property, but left it in his father’s hands, in consequence of which he was considered as the heir of all at his father’s death. See ver. 31.

Ver. 15. To feed swine.—This, to a Jew, must be a most degrading and mortifying employment.

Ver. 16. With the husks.—It may be recollected that this was in a time of

Ver. 19. Thy hired servants.—We should lay the accent on the pronoun thy; he had been a hired servant in a strange land; he now begs only to fill the like capacity in his father’s house.

Ver. 22, 23. Bring forth the best robe.—There is no need to allegorize these circumstances particularly. The penitent prodigal came home naked, and was clothed; hungry, and was fed; and in both cases bountifully. He was clothed in the best robe in his father’s wardrobe, and fed with the fatted calf. These preparations show that he was to be received, not as a servant, but a son.

Ver. 24. And they began to be merry—Namely, with music and dancing, both which were doubtless hired, dancers being professionally employed on these occasions, as mourners were at funerals.

Ver. 25. Now his elder son.—By the unamiable and selfish character of the elder son, the Saviour portrays an admirable and exact picture of the Pharisees.

We must have been blind indeed not to have “perceived that he spake of

Ver. 29. Lo these many years…. neither transgressed I.—“I fast twice in the week, I give tithes,” &c. ((Luke 18:12),) is in the same spirit. A kid—Appears to have been considered as a delicacy, perhaps equal to a lamb. See (Leviticus 5:6).

Ver. 32. Was dead, and is alive again.—A life of sin, is a spiritual death; the conversion of a sinner is of course a renewed life, or, in figurative terms, “life from the dead.” Compare (1 Timothy 5:6), with (Romans 11:15).