Luke 15

Luke 15:11-32

Christ vindicates himself from the cecils of the Pharisees, offended at his converging with publicans and sinners, ver. 1, 2. in these parables. 1. Of the left sheep, ver. 2—7. 2. Of the left silver, ver. 8, 9, 10. 3. Of the prodigal sea, ver. 11—32.

1. THEN drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, ‘This man receiveth sinners, and ’eateth with them. 3. ¶ And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4. ‘What 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? 5. And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6. And when he cometh boone, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for ‘I have found my sheep which was lost. 7. I 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. 8. ¶ Either 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? 9. And 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. 10. Likewise I say unto you, There is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner that repenteth.

2. 1—10. Offended, perhaps, with the hard sayings of the former chapter, many of his attendants withdrew, and made way for another lot of bearers.

3. The publicans and sinners drew near to hear him. The publicans were usually persons of the most infamous chandler, and the sinners were either public and notorious offenders; or it may be some of the heathen, as from the multitude of strangers who dwelt there, the country was called Galius of the Greeks; these assembled around him, they needed such a gracious Saviour.

4. The proud Pharisees and Scribes herringon expressed their displeasure; offended, that one who professed himself a prophet, should deign to permit such wretches to approach him, receive them with kindness, and sit with them at the same table. Their infidient self-conceit would have said, Come not near me; but he, who came to be the sinner’s friend, did not disdain their company; they were the lost he came to save. Note, The censure of the self-righteous falls heaviest usually on the most excellent persons, in their nobility exercises of charity.

5. Christ vindicates himself from their reproaches, in two parables; and shews, that the highest glory would redound to God from the conversion of these sinners, and joy till the celestial hosts on that occasion. We have,

(1.) The parable of the lost sheep, wherein we may observe, [1.] The case of the miserable sinner; he is left, gone astray from God’s fold; wandering endlessly in waters of ignorance and error; a stranger to all spiritual comfort and happiness; running headlong to destruction, and ready to perish everlastingly. [2.] The peculiar care of the Saviour towards his people in their lost estate; like a shepherd who leaves his flock in the wilderness to seek one thraying sheep, to death the Lord pursue his wanderers; he finds them when they do not seek him, takes them up in the arms of his grace, weak and impotent of themselves to return, and brings them back to his fold with that effectual power and tender pity, which secures them

Yet further, to shew how little cause the Scribes and Pharisees had to murmur at the favour shewn to publicans and sinners, he added a third beautiful parable, wherein miserable and wretched sinners may ever read the compactions of a pardoning God, and be engaged by the riches of his grace to return to the arms of his mercy. The certain man here spoken of, is God, the common Father of all: the two sons are either the Jews, the elder brother, and the Gentiles, the younger; or rather, by the one are meant the Scribes and Pharisees, by the other the publicans and sinners; both, as descendants of Abraham, the children of God, in a convenant of peculiarity. And to this latter sense, the occasion of the parable seems to direct us. The character of the miserable sinner is here drawn under the figure of the younger son. We have, 1. His departure from home, and the miseries into which his extravagance brought him. (1.) He was impatient of restraint, as young men usually are; wanted to get from his father’s eye; conceited himself able to manage better for himself than his aged parent for him, and therefore forwardly demands, Give me the person of good which falleth to me, as if he had a right to challenge them as his due: just such are we all by nature. (2.) Discontent under God’s government, and affecting independence. (2.) Desirous to fly from him, and foolishly flattering ourselves that we can be hid. (3.) Puffed up with high imaginations of our own abilities and excellence. (4.) Looking upon God’s gifts as our own property, for the use of which we are accountable to none. (5.) Coveting a present portion, and seeking all our happiness from the world, careless and unconcerned about our future state. (2.) The father, though he might justly except to such a forward demand, divided his substance, and gave the younger son his share; evidently shewing, he was not that morose and harsh parent, which this headstrong youth probably represented him. Thus God bestows liberally the bounties of his providence on the evil and unthankful; and leaves his own children for a while to the devices of their own hearts, that dire conviction may teach them their folly and their sin. (3.) No sinner had he got his share, than in haste to be gone, he stayed but a few days to pack up his all, and took his journey into a far country, where he apprehended no whale from his watchful father; and there giving a loose to every appetite, he soon dissipated his fortune among women, wine, and riotous living. How exact the representation? (1.) Such wanderers are we; as soon as we are born we go allray. (2.) In this alienation from God the sinner habitually continues, fulfiling the desires of the flesh and of the mind. (3.) We are confused by vile affections, and naturally devoted to those youthful lusts which war against the soul. (4.) Present gratification usually weighs with us more than any considerations about futurity. (5.) As extravagance and whoreform have the most direct tendency to rob us of our substance, much more will thele, and the like sin, infallibly ruin our souls. (4.) Great were the miseries in which this prodigal now felt himself involved. When he had spent all, which would not hold long in such bad company as he kept, then only a mighty sinner in that land; and as those on whom he had lavished his money, now dropped off from his acquaintance as the leaves in autumn, he began to be in some, without a morsel of bread to appease the cravings of hunger. Reduced now to the utmost distress, without a farthing in his pocket, without a friend to assist him, receitly driven him to court the meanest drudgery to keep life and soul together, he must and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed twine; yet even there he could not earn enough to satisfy his hunger; he envied the very twine their husks, and would soon have filled his belly with them, but could not, or was not permitted that favour, and no man had the least compassion for his wife, or gave unto him the least morsel of sustenance: such is the misery of the sinner. (1.) He is in sum of all true comfort, and destitute of all grace; the favour of God, as the dew of heaven, is with-field; his hard heart produces nothing good, and he pines away in his iniquities. (2.) He is the wisest slave in nature; the devil is the citizen, in whose hard service he is employed; he is like the twine, wallowing in the lusts of uncleanness, or groveling in worldly-mindedness. (3.) His soul is harassed with raging desires, which none of his pursuits can gratify; for they who depart from God, to seek satisfaction in the creature, must feel the curse of incessant hunger, and find nothing but husks before them. The world, and all the things of it, can provide no solid food for an immortal soul. Some give a different interpretation of the words. They suppose the citizen of that country to be a Plumptivist aged preacher, to whom the awakened sinner flees under his distress. He sets him to work in his fields; directs him to moral duties, to the law, to the conditions of the covenant, in order to obtain peace with God; but the husks of self-righteousness are unfastidatory; conscience is unappeared; guilt unamined for; corruption unmarried; and he continues a companion of twine. 2. Distress at last brought him to consider the worldness of his

his State, and what possibility there yet was of preventing his dying for want in that strange land. When he came to himself, for hitherto he had acted as a madman, or one possessed, he began to reflect on the plenty which roughed in his father’s family, where there was not a hired servant, but had bread enough and to force; and I, says he, purify such danger. He receives therefore to return, and call himself on his father’s mercy, acknowledging his sin against heaven and against him, owning it his justi deft to be disowned for a son, and begging it, as the highest favour he dares at, to be admitted among the hired servants. And what he received, he immediately executed; his urgent want admitted not of delay: happy the soul in whom such a gracious purpose is filtered up! Now, (1.) Every impenitent dinner is before himself; all his thoughts, words, and ways bequeak the madman; fancying himself wife, great, happy, when infatuated, poor, and miserable; and putting a value upon the flares of his cell, the gain and pleasures of this world, as if they were fleeting gold, which he is infallible to all the eternal places that are above. (2.) In our most desperate estate, whilst there is life there is hope; it is never too late to return unto God; the vilest sinner may find mercy, the most abominable be converted and changed. (3.) Afflictions are often made the blissful means of driving our souls to God: listened by the zeal of correction the heart is made tender, and disposed to listen to the words of wisdom, which were before despised and rejected. (4.) Though the conversion of the soul to God is alone effected by the power of divine grace, yet he works in such a way as that it is our own choice, and the refills of reason, confederation, and conviction. He opens our understandings to see our true state, and beholding the inevitable ruin which is before us, we are driven by mere necessity to Christ for pardon and salvation. (5.) None need perils who return unto God right humbly; there is with him grace abounding, bread enough, and to force. (6.) In our returns to God, we must all adopt the prodigal’s spirit and language: we have found more than we can express or continue; we should reflect upon all the aggravations of our sin, how ungratefully we have behaved towards the Father of mercies, how impiously affirmed the Most High, whose throne is in the heavens, that so we may truly loath ourselves for all our abominations. (7.) We are never truly humbled for sin, till we feel and own our unworthiness of the least mercy, and our justi deft of being utterly abandoned and rejected of God; so that if the least favour be thrown us, we shall acknowledge it with deepest gratitude. (8.) Vile and wicked as we may have been, we must not forget that endearing name of Father, to encourage our hopes, to awaken genuine and guilty sorrow, and to embolden our faith to approach him. (9.) When God is working with our hearts, all depends upon our immediate obedience to his calls and warnings. To day, whilst it is called to day, harden not your hearts.

3. His reception was unfeasibly beyond his expectations. He came to his Father, and was welcomed with open arms. Let offended parents learn such compactions towards their returning prodigals. When he was yet a great way off, as if the Father’s longing eyes had been looking out for his coming, he saw him, and though in rags and nakedness, emaciated and changed, so that another could scare have known him, he discerned the long-lost child. Melted with compassion at his precious case, yet overjoyed once more to behold him, he ran with eagerness and fell on his neck, embracing him with the warmest emotions of parental tenderness, and I’d him, the token of welcome, the full of groom: such are the tender mercies of our God towards poor sinners; he sees, well pleased, the first rising desire in our hearts towards him; he pries our misery, though we have brought it upon ourselves, and have so highly dishonoured him; his arms of grace are open to receive us; he will not upheard our folly, but is ready instantly to pardon our sin, and through Christ Jesus to forgive and forget all that is past, fealing our pardon, and speaking peace to our souls. The prodigal, deeply affected with his own vileness, and now more deeply struck with his ingratitude than ever, under the resentment of such amazing tenderness as his father shewed him, with grief and shame unsigned, cries, Father, I have found, &c. The sense of God’s pardoning love, instead of making the sinner proud, abates him to the dull, and makes him abhor himself for having ever offended a God so gracious. The son would have proceeded, but the father’s heart is so overjoyed, he prevents him with blessings and loving kindness, commanding the most splendid deeds and the noblest entertainment to be provided for him. So far is the Lord from upbraiding poor returning penitents, that their iniquities, like a cloud, are blotted out, and glory and honour are put upon them.

[1.] The father commands his servants to bring forth the best rules, to put a ring on his hand, and flow on his feet, that his nakedness may not only be covered, and his filthy garments taken away, but that he may be adorned as became a dear child of that noble family: and how much more glorious the provision which Jesus hath made for his returning prodigals! A rule of righteousness, perfect and everlasting, is provided for them, arrayed in which, they appear without spot even in the presence

of God. Their filthy garments of sin are taken away, and beautiful in holiness impressed, as well as righteousness imputed, they all are seen to be the children of a king. The ring, the seal of reconciliation and union, the spirit of Jesus given, fealing them unto the day of redemption; and those with the preparation of the gospel of peace, they run the way of God’s commandments with delight.

[2.] The noblest entertainment is ordered. Being better the fated calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. Hungry and faint, he had long been a stranger to such rich provision; and pining in want and wretchedness, was a stranger to joy: but now he shall be fed to the full, and partake of the general gladness which his return occasions. Now, (1.) In the gospel, the richest provision is made for the hungry; Christ with all his fulness is provided, and faith feeds upon him, to the strengthening and refreshing of the soul. (2.) They who are brought by grace to taste of the sweetness of God’s love, will truly say, that every thing compared with that, is but hustle. (3.) There is joy among all the household of God when one poor sinner returns to join the happy family.

[3.] The cause of the father’s joy is this, My son was dead and is alive again; he was left, and is found; he was as bad as dead, yea, worse than dead, whilst living in rest and esteem; left to his family, undone himself; but his return is life from the dead. Now, (1.) Every impenitent dinner in the midst of life is in death; spiritually dead to God, and ready to suffer the wages of eternal death in hell. (2.) The soul left in sin, is lost for ever, unless recovered by sovereign grace. (3.) Though God’s dearest children may lie down in common with others, flank under guilt, and enslaved by corruption, yet in God’s purposes they are still his; and this blessed and happy change shall pass upon them. The dead shall live, the lost he found.

4. The family readily joined the matter of the house, rejoicing with him on the present happy occasion. The elder son alone appeared discontented; he was in the field when his brother returned, and heard with surprise, as he drew near to the house, the mule and dancing. Enquiring of one of the servants, he soon learns the occasion, and expertly has delved and discontent against his father’s behaviour, as if the kindness shewn to his brother was an injury done to himself; who, he conceives, had deferred so much better at his father’s hand. This character properly belonged to the Pharisees, and is applicable to all who are influenced by the three spirit of pride and self-righteousness. They are in the field of this world, in a state of unregeneracy; the flares of earth, minding worldly things, working for life, and expecting to receive the harvest of eternal glory as the fruit of their own labours. They draw high to the house, the church of God, in profession, but never enter it by a spiritual union with the head of the church, Christ Jesus. They hear the mule and dancing, the sweet sound of the great and precious promises, which makes the hearts of the miserable and guilty dance for joy; and strangers to this divine confidation themselves, they are vexed that any others should partake of it; and angry, that those should be admitted to the enjoyment of all the riches of his grace who have behaved so profligately, and be put on a level with themselves, who have, as they conceit, deferred so well at God’s hands. They will not go in, not submitting to the righteousness, nor commit to receive the salvation of God freely, as lost and undone, as much as the vilest of mankind. In vain the Lord, by the ministry of the word, remonstrates with them on their perversion, and urges upon them the necessity of a better righteousness than their own; increasing them to accept of that provided by the Redeemer, and thus come in and partake of the feast. They vaunt their own meritorious services, and in their own conceit fancy they never transgressed at any time the commandments, and therefore have a claim to the divine favour. They cannot regard publicans as their brethren, and think the kindness of God to perishing sinners is injustice to them, and unbecoming him; that these, instead of being received into his arms, should smart under his rod; and at least only be received into a lower place, after having done long penance for their offences.

Some suppose that the elder brother represents a gracious man, who having himself escaped from the grosser pollutions that are in the world, is apt to entertain too high thoughts of himself, and too little compassion towards such as have more grossly offended. To avoid which, we should learn, (1.) To entertain the lowliest thoughts of ourselves, and especially to watch against spiritual pride. (2.) Never to complain of God as we just to us, but to acknowledge ourselves an example of the least of all his mercies. (3.) Not to harbour unkindness against, and treat with severity, those who may have dishonoured their profession by their unfulfils, but to be happy to give them again the right hand of fellowship, whenever they return to God. (4.) To rejoice in the gifts and grants of those who have been most eminent sinners, and not to envy them their distinguished mercies, though they may now far outshine and eclipse ourselves.

5. The father silences and rebukes his unreasonable murmurs. Son, then are now with us; the Sicilies and Pharisees, or the Jewish people, enjoyed peculiar privileges, the ordinances

of

of worship, and the special presence of God in the midst of them; and all that I have is them; if by their unbelief they did not cut themselves off, the mercy shewn to Gentiles, to the chief of Simeon, would prove no diminution of the favours they should enjoy. It was most that we should make mercy and be glad: for this thy brother was dead and is alive again, and was left and is found; the conversion of the Gentiles and other notorious sinners, dead in trespassion, and ready to perish for ever, so far from being a ground of discontent, should be to all matter of rejoicing. Note, (1.) They who are truly God’s children, may be assured that all things are theirs, all spiritual blessings in time and in eternity. (2.) The abounding grace of God is never exhausted by the myriads who partake of it: the happiness of others is no diminution of our own, but rather increases our delight. (3.) Whatever God doth is well done; every murmur must be blessed before him; and in all the dissertations of his providence and grace, he is ever to be acknowledged as righteous, just, and good.