Luke 15

Luke 15 belongs to the section of the Gospel that recounts Jesus' journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51 onward). After teaching about the cost of discipleship in Luke 14, Jesus tells three stories in this chapter about things that were lost and then found.

Outline

• Verses 1–2: Publicans (tax collectors) and sinners draw near to hear him. The Pharisees and scribes murmur, saying, "This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them."
• Verses 3–7: The Parable of the Lost Sheep. A man who has a hundred sheep and loses one leaves the ninety and nine in the wilderness and goes after the one that is lost. When he finds it, he calls together his friends and neighbors to rejoice with him.
• Verses 8–10: The Parable of the Lost Coin. A woman who has ten drachmas (pieces of silver) and loses one lights a candle, sweeps the house, and searches until she finds it.
• Verses 11–24: The Parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son receives his portion (the share of the estate due to him) and squanders it in a far country. Reduced to feeding swine, he returns to his father. The father runs to meet him, kills the fatted calf, and holds a feast.
• Verses 25–32: The elder son is angry and refuses to go into the house. The father comes out and entreats him, saying, "this thy brother was dead, and is alive again."

Key Verses

• Luke 15:7: "joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than …" — This verse states the theme that unites the three parables: repentance and the joy of heaven.
• Luke 15:20: "his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran" — This verse is frequently cited as a portrait of a father who takes the initiative in welcoming the one who returns.
• Luke 15:32: "was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found" — Spoken to the elder son, these words close the story without recording his response.

People and Places

• Publicans and sinners: People whom the religious leaders of the day kept at a distance.
• Pharisees and scribes: The Pharisees were a group devoted to strict observance of the law, and the scribes were experts in the law. Together they are the immediate audience of the parables in this chapter.
• The father and his two sons: The characters of the third parable.
• The far country: An unnamed Gentile land. The swine the younger son tended were classified as unclean animals under Jewish law (Leviticus 11).

Points for Reflection

• The titles of the parables do not appear in the text but were assigned later. The third parable is widely known as "the Parable of the Prodigal Son," but because it also includes the story of the elder son, it is sometimes called "the Parable of the Two Sons" or "the Parable of the Waiting Father." It is a different story from the Parable of the Two Sons in Matthew 21.
• In light of the setting in verses 1–2, many interpreters see the elder son as representing the Pharisees and scribes, and the younger son as representing the publicans and sinners.
• Interpreters differ in emphasis. Some stress the priority of grace, pointing to the scene in which the father runs out to meet his son; others stress the decision to repent, pointing to the scene in which the son "came to himself" and returned.
• The Parable of the Lost Sheep also appears in Matthew 18, where it is set in a context concerning the desire that not even one of "these little ones" be lost. The theme of seeking the lost connects with Ezekiel 34:11–16, the Good Shepherd discourse, and Luke 19:10.

In the Korean Church

• The Parable of the Prodigal Son is frequently used as a sermon text on repentance and the love of God. The Parable of the Lost Sheep is often cited in connection with evangelism and the welcoming of newcomers.
• Books on this chapter, such as Henri Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son and Tim Keller's The Prodigal God, have been translated into Korean and widely read.