Luke 15
DODDLuke 15:1-10
Publicans and sinners flock round our Lord, and he vindicates his readiness to receive them by the parables of the lost sheep and piece of money. Luke XV. 1—10.
LUKE XV. I.
THUS our Lord addressed himself to the multitude, and especially to his disciples, on the sabbathday, as he came out from the LUKE XV. I. THEN drew near unto him all the
The parable of the lost sheep.
house of the noble Pharisee with whom he had dined: now as it was then a season of leisure, and he appeared in public teaching the people, all the publicans in that place, and some other notorious sinners, who might not easily have been admitted into the Pharisee’s house, drew near to hear him preach, being charmed with the condescension which allowed of their access.
And Jesus, moved with compassion for them, uttered some remarkable discourses, admirably calculated for their encouragement, and that of others, who had lain under the most aggravated guilt. But the proud Pharisees and scribes who were present, murmured when they saw such a crowd around him, and said, This man, while he sets up for a religious Teacher, unaccountably gives access to the most profligate sinners, and sometimes eats with them, and makes no scruple to accept of invitations to their houses. (Compare Mark ii. 16, Vol. I. p. 390.)
But [Jesus] for the encouragement of these poor penitents, as well as to rebuke the censorious and uncharitable Pharisees, spake to them this parable, and said, What man is there of you that has a flock of an hundred sheep, who will not, upon losing one of them, immediately leave the ninety nine that were feeding together in the pastures of the desert, and go from place to place in search after that which was lost, till he find it? And having at length found it, he lays it on his shoulders, greatly rejoicing, as a man in such a circumstance naturally would:
and sinners drew near the suppose they came intment from all the But as Luke goes without any intimation of the time or the scene of think these discourses the same day that the Pharisee, (sect. ing the sabbathday, licans, who on other red in their office, a portunity of attending. ed (I could never con- cason) that this hap- f the Gentiles beyond ence, they say, Christ lem (Luke xvii. 11). But that the chief part of this ass were Gentile idolators, can never be ed; and if it could, it would be n cient proof of Christ’s being now other side of Jordan. Yet I ackno it highly probable, that some ido Gentiles might join with the mu who, if they understood these pa might justly draw great encourag from them. b In the pastures of the desert.] tivated ground, used merely as com pasture, was called wilderness, or des the Jews, in distinction from arable, closed land. Compare Josh. xv. Kings ii. 34; 2 Kings iii. 8; Mat. and Mark vi. 31. (Compare also no Mat. xviii. 12, sect. xciv.)
The parable of the lost piece of money
(compare Mat. xviii. 12, 13, sect. lxiv. p. 46.) And when he cometh home, he calls together [his] friends and neighbours, and says unto them with the greatest pleasure, My friends, you may now rejoice with me; for my labour and search have not been in vain, but I have found my sheep which was lost. And as he thus is more delighted with the recovery of the sheep which he had lost, than with the safety of the rest, which had not wandered; so, I say to you, that greater and more sensible joy will be in heaven, among the blessed and benevolent spirits that dwell there, over one penitent sinner, than over ninety nine righteous persons who do not need such deep repentance, or such an universal change of mind and character.
Or, to illustrate the matter by another obvious similitude, that it may yet more powerfully strike your minds, What poor woman, having ten pieces of silver money, though they were each of them but the value of a drachma, if she lose one of them out of her little stock, will not presently light a lamp, and take the pains to sweep out the house, and search carefully in all the corners till she find it? And when she has found it, she
c Greater joy will be in heaven, &c.] Alluding, says Mons. L’Enfant (a little too coldly), to the style of the Jews, with whom it was usual to represent the angels weeping for the corruption of men, and rejoicing at their conversion. But it seems very unwarrantable to suppose Christ thus asserting a thing merely because the Jews used thus to represent and conceive of it. We may rather conclude from ver. 10, that, at least in some extraordinary cases, the angels are, either by immediate revelation, or otherwise, informed of the conversion of sinners, which must to those benevolent spirits be an occasion of joy; nor could any thing have been suggested more proper, to encourage the humble penitent to expose the repining Pharisee, or to animate all to zeal in so good a work, as endeavouring to promote the repentance of others.
d Than over ninety nine righteous persons, &c.] It cannot be our Lord’s meaning here, that God esteems one penitent sinner more than ninety nine confirmed and established saints, (who are, undoubtedly, the
persons spoken of as needing no repentance, or no universal change of heart and life, in which sense the word μίλωσα is commonly used); for it would be inconsistent with the Divine wisdom, goodness, and holiness, to suppose this. But it is plainly as if he had said, “As a father peculiarly rejoices when an extravagant child is reduced to a sense of his duty, and one whom he had considered as utterly ruined by his follies, and perhaps as dead, returns with remorse and submission; or as any other person who has recovered what he had given up for gone, has a more sensible satisfaction in it than in several other things equally valuable, but not in such danger: so do the holy inhabitants of heaven rejoice in the conversion of the most abandoned sinners, and the great Father of all so readily forgives and receives them, that he may be represented as having part in the joy.” Though, by the way, when human passions are ascribed to God, it is certain they are to be taken in a figurative sense, entirely exclusive of those sensations which result from the commotions of animal nature in ourselves.
on the joy in heaven over a penitent sinner.
joyfully, calls her female friends and neighbours together, to acquaint them with her good success; and, concluding it will be agreeable news to them, she says, Rejoice with me, my friends, for I have found the piece of money which I had lost. And so I say unto you, that there is in like manner a peculiar joy in heaven among the angels of God over one repenting sinner. Do not therefore wonder if I labour to promote their joy on this account, and condescend to familiar converse with those whom you proudly despise as unworthy your regard.
IMPROVEMENT.
and lovely does our Lord appear, while thus passionate arms, and heart, to these wretched those souls no man cared! Who can choose but bible which he proclaimed among them, and attention which they gave to these glad tidings of my we, who are his followers, never despise the worst of men when they seem disposed to re-enstruction; but rather exert ourselves with a zeal, as knowing that the joy of the heavenly recovery will be in some measure proportionable of their former danger. recollect the charity and goodness of those persons to look down from their own glory with com- als wandering in the paths of the destroyer, and s of thankfulness and joy, when by Divine proclaimed from them. Let every sinner be generous desire, that he who has been in so many fence and burden of the earth, may become the joy sincere conversion. And let the solicitude with possessions of this world are sought, when they accident, engage us more earnestly to seek what e valuable, our own salvation, and that of the of others. May we in our different stations lly for their recovery; that we may another day her joy which angels and glorified saints shall ey see them not only reduced to the paths of iness, but fixed in abodes of eternal glory!
She calls her female friends [πας φρως], and neighbours together.] It might seem hardly worth while to ask the congratula-tion of her friends on so small an occasion as finding a drachma (for that is the piece of coin here mentioned, in value not above
nine pence); but it is represented as the tenth part of her little stock, and the im- pressible and social temper of the sex may be perhaps thought of as adding some propriety to the representation
The parable of the prodigal son.
Luke 15:11
Our Lord further pursues the design of the precept delivering that of the prodigal son. Luke XV.
LUKE XV. 11.
WITH the same design of vindicating himself in conversing with publicans and sinners, of reproving the envy of the Pharisees, and of encouraging every sincere penitent by moving representations of the Divine mercy, our Lord went on to utter another most beautiful and affecting parable. And he said, while this various multitude was standing round him, There was a certain man in plentiful circumstances, and of a very condescending temper, who had two sons that were now grown up to manhood. And the younger of them, fondly conceited of his own capacity to manage his affairs, and weary of the restraints of his father’s house, said one day to his indulgent parent, Father, as I am now come to years of discretion, I desire thou wouldst give me into mine own hands that portion of goods which, according to an equitable distribution, falls to my share. And he, unwilling to make any invidious distinction in distributing his effects, divided his living between them both, and gave them his chief stock of money, reserving the house and estate in his own hands.
And not many days after this division was made, the younger son gathering all his treasure together, and pretending a design of trafficking with it, took a journey into a very distant country; and there forgetting his relations at home, and living with a knot of companions like himself, in a very riotous, debauched, and extravagant manner, he quickly squandered away the whole of his substance.
And when he had consumed all in this wretched course, it so happened, through the righteous judgment of God upon him, that there was an
*Divided his living between them both.] It is plain, no significant sense can be put on this circumstance of the parable, as referring to the dispensations of God to his
creatures. It is one of those many ornamental circumstances which it would be weakness overrigorously to accommodate to the general design.
t all his substance, he is reduced to want. extreme famine in that country where he so- ‘ourned; and he soon began to be in want of the very necessaries of life. And, finding no shelter or relief among those who had been the companions of his luxury, and shared in the spoils of his substance, yet unable to brook the mortification of returning home in such circumstances, he went and joined himself as a servant to a citizen of that place; who, thinking such a worthless creature unfit for any better post, sent him away into his groundsᵇ belonging to an estate in the country, where he employed him to feed swine; to which, however mean and disagreeable the employment was,ᶜ this unhappy youth, who had once lived in so much plenty and splendor, was forced to submit: And even then, through the unkindness of his master, and the extremity of the season, he was kept so poorly that he had not bread; but would gladly have filled his hungry belly with the sorriest husksᵈ which the swine did eat: and yet there was no man that would take so much pity upon him as to give unto him one morsel of food; so sparing did the famine make them, and so much did every one despise this foolish and scandalous prodigal.
And now the infamy and distress of his present situation began to lead him into serious consideration; and coming to himself, he so far recovered his reason, which had before been dethroned and extinguished by the mad intoxication of sensual pleasure, that he said in his
ᵇ Who—sent him into his grounds.] That was, in such a construction, should be rendered in this manner, the accurate Elsner has shown by a variety of convincing instances. (Observ. Vol. I. p. 248.)
ᶜ However mean and disagreeable the employment was.] It is true, that among the ancient Greeks, the chief swineherd was looked upon as an officer of no inconsiderable rank; as evidently appears from the figure which Eumæus makes in the Odyssey: but this was an age of greater refinement; the unhappy youth was obliged to tend the swine himself; and if he be considered as a Jew, the aversion of that nation for this unclean animal must render the employment peculiarly odious to him: and probably this circum-
stance was chosen by our Lord to represent him as reduced to the most vile and servile state that could be imagined.
ᵈ With the sorriest husks.] A late translation (after Brown, Saubert, Grotius, and many others) renders expellius carraways, or the fruit of the carubtree, which bore a mean, though sweetish kind of fruit, in long crooked pods; which by some is called St. John’s bread; but if the account which Saubert himself gives of it be true, swine would hardly have been fed with any thing but the husky part of this, in a time of extreme famine. I therefore choose to retain our version; but take it, on the whole, to have been the fruit of a tree something of a wild chestnut kind. See Drusius in loc.
Awakened at last to a sense of his folly, he returns home.
own mind, Alas, how many hired servants in the family of my good father have bread enough and to spare, while I his child, who have known so many better days, am even perishing with famine, and am not thought worth my food by this unkind master to whom I have hired myself! Whatever be the consequence of it, I am resolved that I will sit no longer in this miserable condition; but I will immediately arise, and go to my father, if all my little remaining strength can carry me such a journey; and, without vainly attempting an apology, I will say to him, O my dear injured father, I humbly confess that I have sinned against the great God of heaven by a long course of vice and wickedness, and have been guilty also of the vilest behaviour before thee, in abusing thy goodness, and grieving thee by my unnatural rebellion; And in consequence of this I am no more worthy to be called thy son, nor can I expect the favour of being admitted into thy family on such terms again; nevertheless, do not suffer me to perish, but rather make me as one of thine hired servants, and I will be contented for the future to labour and to fare as they do, so I may but live in thy sight.
And accordingly he arose at that very instant, and set forward on his long journey, passing through all the stages of it with a firm resolution, Providence taking care of his subsistence, though he was obliged to beg his way; and at length he came to the neighbourhood of the house in which his father dwelt.
But while he was yet at a considerable distance, his father, who happened to be then looking that way, saw him, and presently knew him, disguised as he was; and his bowels yearned over him, to see him in so wretched a condition: and immediately, as if he had forgot the dignity of his own character, and all the injuries he had
ned against the great God of heaven.] guilt of his conduct, God began to take he
‘Make me as one of He mentions this, n vants fared worse than he was himself an hir fore naturally compa with those of that r family.
His father kindly receives him.
received, he ran to his child, and fell on his deck with an eager embrace, and tenderly kissed him with tears of joy. And the son began to make his humble acknowledgments, as he before had purposed, and said unto him, O my abused and injured father, I am ashamed to appear in thy presence; for such has been my vileness, that I have sinned against the God of heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called and owned as thy son, or to receive any token of thy favourable regards. But, before he could make an end of the speech he intended, the compassionate father turned, and said to his servants, who were now gathered round them, Go immediately into the house, and bring out the best robe that is there, and clothe him with it, and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet, that my dear child may appear like himself: And let others of you run to the stall, and bring hither the fatted calf that is there, and kill it for a festival entertainment; and let us eat and be cheerful: For I esteem this as one of the happiest days of my life, and more joyful than the birthday of one of my children; since this my son, that was so long considered by me as dead, is restored to life; and he who was concluded to be irrecoerably lost, is found, so that I have renewed hope of comfort in him. And the whole house was filled with joy, and, having made the entertainment ready, they began to be cheerful.
The best robe.] It is observed by Ferrarius (de Re Vestiar. lib iii. cap. 24), that the vœrs, or long robe, was a garment which servants never wore; so that his father’s ordering any such garment, and especially the best, to be brought, was declaring, in the most moving manner that can be imagined, how far he was from intending to treat him like a servant. His mentioning the ring and shoes spake the same language; as many learned writers have observed. See Wolfus in loc.
The fatted calf, and kill it.] Elsner would render the word Sverds, sacrifice it; truly urging that it was customary to offer a sacrifice at the birth, and sometimes at the unexpected recovery of a child. (See Elsner, Observ. p. 249, 250.) But no such sacrifice was appointed among the Jews, nor could any have been lawfully offered
but at Jerusalem, which does not appear to have been the scene of this parable; so that I can see no just reason for such a rendering.
That was dead, is restored to life.] It is by a very common and beautiful emblem that vicious persons are represented as dead, both by sacred and profane authors; (compare 1 Tim. v. 6; Eph. ii. 1; v. 14; and Wolfus in loc.) and the natural death of their children would be less grievous to pious parents, than to see them abandoned to such a course as this young sinner took. But to suppose an allusion here to that statute (Deut. xxi. 18—21) which condemned a disobedient and rebellious son to death on the prosecution of his parents, would in this case be most unnatural, and utterly spoil the tenderness and grace of this speech.
VOL. 2.
His elder rother repines, a resents
But while the younger son was thus received into his father’s house, his elder son was abroad in the field; and as on his return he approached the house, he heard the sound of musick and dancing, and was surprised at the discovery of such unusual joy. And calling one of the servants to come to him, he inquired of him what was the meaning of these things, and what could have occasioned this extraordinary rejoicing? And he said to him, It is because thy younger rother is come home; and thy father is so transported with joy at his unexpected return, that he has killed the fatted calf, and made a very splendid entertainment, because he has received him in good health again, and found him happily recovered to a sense of his duty. And he was very angry at the kind reception of his rother, and resolved that he would not go in.
His father therefore hearing he was there, and being told he had discovered some uneasiness, came out with great condescension, and calmly entreated him to be pacified, and to join with them in the festivities of the day.
But, instead of rejoicing on so happy an occasion, and running to embrace his penitent brother, he was still full of envy and resentment, and replied to his father, Behold, I have served thee these many years, and even to this day am as careful of thy affairs as if thou wast my master, rather than my father; nor canst thou say I have at any time departed from my duty, or transgressed thy command; and yet thou hast never given me so much as a kid, that I might make an entertainment with a few of my select friends: But as soon as ever this thy favourite son was come, who has, as much as in him lay, devoured thy substance with harlots abroad, in a long course of scandalous debaucheries, to his own ruin, and the infamy of thy family, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf, and made him as welcome as if he had been the most dutiful child upon earth.
And, though his father justly might have taken offence at his unbecoming reply, yet, with great gentleness, he said to him, Son, thou art always with me, and art every day receiving some token of my kindness; yea, all that I have
old by his father how fit it was to rejoice.
is in a manner thine, as thou art heir to the bulk of my estate:^k But surely, on farther consideration, thou must acknowledge that it was fit we should feast and rejoice today; for this thy poor brother,^l who was but lately looked upon as dead, is, as it were, miraculously made alive again; and he who was lost to us all, is now happily found; and it will much better become thee to join with us in joy for his return, than thus peevishly to quarrel with my indulgence to him.
Now you who have heard this parable will easily see how indecent this conduct was, and how ungracious a figure this elder brother makes in my story. And I will assure you, that when you Pharisees murmur at the kindness shewn to the publicans, or even the Gentiles themselves,^m on their sincere repentance, you act with as ill a grace, and are the objects of still greater blame, in proportion to the degree in which men’s eternal interests are more important than those that relate merely to the present state.
^k All that I have is thine.] This is a material intimation, and suggests a strong reason against murmuring at the indulgence shewn to great sinners; for as the joyful welcome that the father gave this younger son did not incline him to disinherit the elder brother, so neither will God, out of a partial fondness for remarkable penitents, raise them to a state of glory superior to that of those who have on the whole made a greater progress in holiness, and done him more constant and faithful services.
^l This thy brother.] There is a lovely opposition between this and the 30^th verse: he elder son had there indecently said, This thy son; the father in his reply tenderly says, This thy brother. And it is a moving intimation that the best of men ought to look upon the most abandoned sinners as in some respect their brethren till; and should especially remember the relation, when there appears any inclination to return.
^m To the publicans, or even the Gentiles themselves.] Many commentators
have considered this parable in a view of peculiar application to the Jews and Gentiles; and have observed that the murmurs of the Jews against the apostles for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles (see Acts xiii. 42—50; xxii. 21, 22; and 1 Thes. ii. 16) are represented by the conduct of the elder brother. This was certainly a case comprehended in our Lord’s design; but he undoubtedly had something more in his intention. He meant to shew, that had the Pharisees been as eminently good as they themselves pretended to be, yet it had been very unworthy their character to take offence at the kind treatment which any sincere penitent might receive. Thus does he here, and in many parallel texts, condemn their conduct on their own principles; though elsewhere, on proper occasions, he shews the falsehood of those principles, and plainly exposes their hypocrisy and guilt. Thus the judicious Calvin states the matter; and it is strange so many learned writers should have puzzled themselves and their readers in so clear a case.
Reflections on the folly of sinners, and
IMPROVEMENT.
LET us here behold, with all due attention, the moving rep- CXXIII. presentation which our gracious Redeemer makes of the folly of sinners, and the compassions of God; compassions which he describes as one who himself felt them, and who in this respect, as well as others, was the express image of his Father.
We have before us in this parable a lively emblem of the character and condition of sinners in their fallen state. They are thus impatient of the most necessary restraints; thus fondly ver. 12 conceited of their own wisdom; and thus, when enriched by the bounties of the great common Father, do they ungratefully run from him, and say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not 13 the knowledge of thy ways (Job. xxi. 14). Sensual pleasures are eagerly sought; and perhaps all their earthly possessions and hopes are quickly paid as the price of them. While the 14 means of obtaining these pleasures continue, not a serious thought of God can find a place in their minds: and then, perhaps, afflictions, heavy and complicated afflictions, come upon them; 15, 16 yet even under that pressure they will often make very hard shifts before they will be persuaded to think of a return; till at length Divine grace, working in concurrence with Providence, brings them to a better temper.
When they see themselves naked and indigent, enslaved and undone; when they come to themselves, and recover the exercise of their reason, improving it to the only purposes for which it would have been worth while to have received it; then they feel the pangs of penitential remorse; then they remember the 18, 19 blessings they have lost, and attend to the misery they have incurred. And hereupon they are disposed humbly to confess their folly, and to prostrate themselves in the presence of their heavenly Father: they put the resolution immediately into practice; they arise and go unto him.
But oh, let us behold with wonder and pleasure the gracious reception they find from Divine injured goodness! He sees them 21 afar off; he pities, he meets, and embraces them; he interrupts their complaints and acknowledgments with tokens of his returning favour. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord (Jer. xxxi. 20). Thus does God welcome the humble penitent; thus does he open the arms of his love to embrace him, and the treasures of his bounty to en- 22, 23 rich him. He arrays him with the robe of a Redeemer’s righteousness, dresses him in the ornaments of sanctifying grace, honours him with the tokens of adopting love, and invests him with
the kindness of God to returning prodigals.
the glorious privileges and immunities of his children. And all this he does with unutterable delight : he rejoices over him with joy ; he rests in his love, and, as it were, rejoices over him with singing (Zeph. iii. 17) ; and this is the joyful language of the song, My children that were dead, are alive again ; and though they were lost, they are found.
Let heaven and earth unite in the joy, and echo back the song. Let no elder brother murmur at the indulgence with which these prodigals are treated ; but rather welcome them back into the family, and even encourage every thing that looks like a disposition to return to it. And let those who have been thus received, wander no more ; but rather let them emulate the strictest piety of those who for many years have served their heavenly Father, without having in any notorious instances transgressed his commandments.