Luke 16:19–31 The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ ²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

Commentary (Preamble)
Previously the Lord Jesus Christ had given a parable by which He taught us all to make friends by unrighteous mammon, by being faithful towards God and generous with it towards all (Luke 16:9-12), warning us also that no one can serve God and mammon for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other (Luke 16:13). Now when Jesus said all these things the Pharisees who were lovers of money derided Him (Luke 16:14). And so now Jesus tells us a story of two men’s lives, one being a rich man who fared sumptuously and another being a poor beggar named Lazarus by which all that Jesus previously taught and warned about, now becomes abundantly clear.

Vs. 19-21 ¹⁹ “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰ But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹ desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

The Lord Jesus Christ now begins to tell a story of two men, the first mentioned is a rich man who was very finely clothed (i.e. clothed in purple and fine linen which was a sign of possessing great wealth in ancient times) who fared sumptuously every day. And so, whatever the rich man did, whether good or bad, he always prospered. And so he lived a life of great prosperity, one of ease and comfort and fullness everyday (vs. 19). Now there was also a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was full of sores, wo could not even walk, but was laid at the rich mans gate (vs. 20), and Lazarus being so poor and destitute simply desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans table. Lazarus then could not even imagine what that rich man enjoyed everyday.  “Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.” (vs. 21) which was not a sign of being shown kindness by someone’s pet, but one of being preyed upon by dirty and smelly stray dogs.

Vs. 22-23 ²² So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Having described their lives on earth, Jesus now moves quickly to the end of their lives and where people go after they die. In this Jesus first describes Lazarus as being carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom, which for a Jew in ancient times would’ve been equivalent to being carried and brought into the greatest of comforts in heaven (vs. 22). Now the rich man also died and was buried. Notice first that there is no mention of angels, or of Abraham (all symbolic of God), in that man’s death. Rather Jesus says of the rich man “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” ^{Vs. 23} Notice first that the rich man who during his lifetime could not be bothered to give Lazarus the scraps from his table, while he fared sumptuously every day, living and feasting to his hearts content, while he saw Lazarus lying starving at his gate. And so now the once rich man is in torments in Hades which is to say he is now suffering torments in hell in English. And so being in torments he lifts his eyes and sees Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom, now being comforted and nurtured for all eternity.

Vs. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

Now when the rich man saw how Lazarus was now comforted and he being in torments in Hades now cries out, saying: ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ Notice that it is the rich man who is now appealing for mercy, something which he never showed to Lazarus when he had every opportunity and ability to do so during his lifetime. And yet though in torments he still sees Lazarus as someone completely subservient to himself, for he asks that Lazarus might be sent to him, “…that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” And so just as Lazarus was unable to alleviate his own sufferings on earth so now the same is being experienced by the rich man in hell, who could’ve very easily alleviated Lazarus sufferings if he had even cared to do so, when they were both alive on earth. As well notice that Hades/Hell involves flame as torment, any doctrines, ideas, or notions that seek to lesson that reality is not from God. For here the Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear that the eternal punishment found there involves flame as a torment.

Vs. 25-26 ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

Having heard the rich man’s appeal for mercy, Abraham now reminds him that in his lifetime “…you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things…”, and so now Lazarus is comforted and the rich man is tormented (vs. 25), thus though justice sometimes seems afar off here on earth it is never forsaken in eternity! Now verse twenty-six is very interesting because it debunks any notions of “purgatory”, of being able to pass from hades/hell to heaven once there, or even to pass from heaven to hell to try to save someone there. The time then for repentance and faith is not when one is dead and has been already sentenced, the time is right now!

Vs. 27-31 ²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

Seeing there is now no more hope for himself, the rich man now appeals to Abraham that he would send Lazarus to his father’s house, “for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.” ^{vs. 28} However  Abraham as the father of the Jews says to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ^{vs. 29} Thus even without the Gospel there are in the Law and the prophets an abundance of commands, exhortations, and examples to, “Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with ones God” ^{Micah 6:8} Thus they being covenant Jews, being reared under the Law and prophets, are completely without excuse (Rom. 2). However, upon hearing that, the once rich man in great desperation now strengthens his appeal saying, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ^{vs. 30} Which on the surface makes perfect sense, and yet when Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from dead neither the nation of Israel, nor its priests and leadership, repented and believed in Him (see John 11). And even more stunning and exceedingly far greater is the Lord Jesus Christ’s own Resurrection from Dead which the world and those of it remain oblivious and blinded too. And so, in verse thirty-one we see a great spiritual truth about how people’s hearts become hardened and their eyes become blinded to the Gospel, when they do not heed God’s Word and His revelation given to them through it, because as the Lord Jesus Christ states, “…If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”

Scripture Quotations

New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson

Luke 16:14–18

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. ¹⁵ And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. ¹⁶ “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. ¹⁷ And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. ¹⁸ “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Commentary
V. 14 “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.”

Now when the Pharisees heard all of these things that Jesus had just spoken, they derided (i.e. scoffed at, ridiculed) Him. The NKJ reference notes states: “they turned up their nose at Him”, while the Louw-Nida lexicon adds, … “to ridicule in a sneering and contemptuous way—‘to ridicule, to sneer at, to show contempt for.’[1] Thus, the Pharisees who were outwardly the most religious appearing men to all, yet were only so fully corrupted by their own love of mammon that they arrogantly scoffed at the Son of God’s warning to them and us all.

Vs. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ then upon their deriding Him will not let them by their self-confidently and arrogantly doing so influence or corrupt anyone else. Therefore, Jesus immediately rebukes and exposes them before all, saying to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Two evils then that the Lord Jesus Christ exposes. First is that they justified themselves before men, that is they did not look to God to justify them, no they only looked to themselves, and thus they themselves set the standard by which they justified themselves before men. Second is that in their greed they held mammon, and or their possessing it so highly that it became a mark of their own righteousness or one having a right standing before God. Therefore, the Lord Jesus soundly rebukes them by saying, “For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Thus, the love of mammon, the love of power, the love of wealth and privilege are not Godly pursuits for anyone to pursue, for all these things are only an abomination in the sight of God!

Vs. 16-18 ¹⁶ “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. ¹⁷ And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. ¹⁸ “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Now though these three verses initially may seem disconnected from the previous ones they are intimately connected with them. For in them starting in verse sixteen the Lord Jesus Christ is both warning them and exposing them as spiritual and moral adulterers’ Spiritual adulteress in that they long ago left their love for God for their love of mammon. And moral adulterers’ because for their own pleasure and or convivence they would justify divorcing their own wives and marrying another (consider Malachi 2:13-16; Matt. 19:3-9). Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ now tells them that the law and prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it (vs. 16). That is the One whom they have derided is the One whom God through the law and prophets foretold would come to them and speak His Word to them. Thus, the law and the prophets were only until John the Baptist, for since that time the Kingdom of God is now being preached and everyone is pressing into it! Therefore, having declared that He is the fulfillment of the Law, and as such He is preaching the Kingdom of God (and not Moses and the Law) the Lord
Jesus Christ never disavowed any of the moral judgments of God in the Law. Thus, He warns them and us all, by also saying “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.” Therefore, not the smallest stroke of a Hebrew letter in the Law of God will fail, all will be upheld by Him. Having then stated as much the Lord Jesus Christ now warns/rebukes them for their misusing the Law of God to justify divorcing their wives and marry another woman, (or another man’s wife) by saying that there are no lawful grounds for divorcing one’s wife except that they commit sexual immorality, that being so, there is then equally no lawful grounds for marrying a divorced woman (vs. 18).

Scripture Quotations

New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson

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^[1] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 434). New York: United Bible Societies.

Luke 16:1–13

¹ He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. ² So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ ³ “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ ⁵ “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ⁸ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. ⁹ “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. ¹⁰ He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. ¹¹ Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? ¹³ “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Commentary (Preamble): 
Having just contrasted the grace of God with the Pharisees uncharitable and unforgiving attitudes in the parable of the prodigal son. The Lord Jesus now tells another parable in which an apparent unjust steward is commended by his master for his foresight in making provisions for his future by being charitable down here.

Vs. 1-2 ¹ He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. ² So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

Now while Jesus’ parable/story of the prodigal son was sinking in amongst the scribes and Pharisees and especially the sinners who drew near Him, He also told another parable to His disciples now telling them of a certain rich man who had a steward who was found to be wasting his goods (vs. 1). And so, the master of the steward told him that he could no longer be steward of them (vs. 2). Now what is being loosely described here is God as the master and owner of all that we have, and so it is to Him alone whom we will all give an accounting of our stewardship of what He has entrusted us with.

Vs. 3-7 ³ “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ ⁵ “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

Realizing then that he was about to lose his stewardship, and that he was too weak for manual labor, and too afraid to now be seen as a beggar (vs. 3-4). The steward quickly devised a plan by which his master’s debtors would receive him into their homes, when he was put out of his stewardship. And so, he began to call his masters debtors saying to each one, how much do you owe? And one said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ^{vs. 6-7} Thus, one by one the soon to be put out steward reduced his master’s debtors’ debts, and by so doing was trying to endear himself to them all.

Vs. 8 “So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.”

Now when the master of the steward heard what he had done he commended him for his shrewdness, “For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.” Thus, Jesus point is not about the ethics of what transpired, but rather that the man seeing his future was going to a rough one if he didn’t make some provisions for himself now while he had the opportunity, went about and did so.

Vs. 9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.”

Here then Jesus gets to the heart of matter, telling us all to make friends by the unrighteous mammon; that is with whatever goods and possessions and wealth that we also have been entrusted with, to use these to bless others or to reach others with, so that when we fail they too may receive us into everlasting habilitations. Thus, the time to make friends in heaven is not when ones is already gone, but when one is still amongst the living!

Vs. 10-12 ¹⁰ He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. ¹¹ Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

And so, in saying that we are to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us down here, Jesus now reveals that what we do with what we have down here not only reveals much about us, but also will decide what God will entrust to us in His Kingdom. That is the essence of what He is saying in verses ten through twelve when He says: ¹⁰ He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. ¹¹ Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? Thus if a person is unjust in the least of things, like the unrighteous mammon, they will also be unjust in greater things. Things that really matter, and last forever, like the spiritual riches and places of prominence that the Lord Jesus Christ will bestow upon all who faithfully follow Him. Therefore, let us all who believe be just and fair in all of our dealings with everyone, and do not be greedy, or covetous, or selfish, but let us all be generous and just towards all. For those who rob wage earners, or who exploit widows and orphans, who take financial advantage of others, or use or think the Gospel as a means of personal gain are of the lowest character, and should not be trusted with much of anything down here by us, because they will have nothing in heaven (Lev. 19:13; Prov. 11:1; Isaiah 58:3; Amos 2:6-7; Malachi 3:5; 1 Tim. 6:5-10; 2 Tim. 3:6; Titus 1:10, 15-16; James 5:1-4 etc., antithesis Micah 6:8; 2 Cor. 2:17; 1 Thess. 2:5 etc.).

Vs. 13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

In this one verse the Lord Jesus Christ debunks all the lies that people try to live by when they try to align serving God while they’re really just serving mammon. For many people have sadly lost their faith in God for their love of mammon, therefore be forewarned for only one will be your Lord and Master.


Scripture Quotations

New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson

Luke 15:11–32 The Prodigal Son

¹¹ Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. ¹³ And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. ¹⁴ But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. ¹⁵ Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶ And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷ “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ ²⁰ “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ²³ And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; ²⁴ for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. ²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ ²⁸ “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ³⁰ But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ ³¹ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³² It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”

Commentary
Vs. 11-12 ¹¹ Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.

The Lord Jesus Christ having told us the parable of the shepherd seeking his lost sheep, then the woman seeking her cherished lost coin, now brings it all home with the parable/story of the prodigal son, which because of its nature is universal in its application. And so, Jesus begins by saying that there was man who had two sons, and the younger said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ ^{vs. 11} That is he requested all of his inheritance while his father was still living. And so, the father divided to both his sons his livelihood (vs. 12). Now though the younger sons request is rather unusual; to request all of one’s inheritance while one’s father is still living; I think it not unusual for a father to want to help his sons get set up in life and establish themselves. And so, he granted the younger son what he requested. However, as we will see the younger son had no interest in using his early granted inheritance wisely (in this consider Prov. 20:21).

Vs. 13 “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.”

Having then received his inheritance from his father, the younger son soon decides to depart from his father. Therefore, he gathers all of his possessions together and departs to far country. Far away from his father and all that he has known. And so, it is that while he is there, he wastes all his possessions with prodigal living (think wild partying). Which sadly is so representative of people everywhere, who from every culture and walk of life likewise for whatever reasons go out try to live life on the “wild side.”

Vs. 14 “But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.”

It wasn’t that long then before the young man had spent his whole inheritance on prodigal living, and so soon after there arose a famine in that land, which obviously equates with there being scarce resources and opportunities for anyone in that land, much less a foreigner. And so, he began to be in want.

Vs. 15 “Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.”

Therefore, being in great desperation and despair he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country. Meaning he literally forsook all his identity and united himself to that citizens culture and values so that he might only become his servant. And so it was, that he then sent him out into his fields to feed swine, which for a Jewish person would’ve been utterly despairing, because for those under the law coming into contact with swine was only to be defiled in the sight of God. And now he found himself surrounded by them as their keeper, while they wallowed in their own mud and mire.

Vs. 16 “And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”

And so, it was while he tended the swine that he would’ve gladly eaten the pods (i.e. carob pods that come from middle eastern flowering evergreen trees or shrubs) that the swine ate, and which it appears he himself was not permitted to eat. Not only that no there gave him anything! Thus, though he had joined himself to a citizen of that country, the people there never accepted him as belonging to it. And so, there he was bound to a very cruel master, while living amongst some very cruel and unmerciful people.

Vs. 17-19 ¹⁷ “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’

It is at this point that the young man having hit bottom comes to too his senses, and so he remembers how in his father’s household his father’s servants have plenty of bread to eat, and yet he perishes with hunger while in this foreign land (vs. 17). Therefore, knowing that he will have to return home destitute, he now lays all his hope on what he hopes will be an acceptable confession of wrong doing to his father (vs. 17-19. Now there is in the young mans prepared confession for his father absolutely no sense of entitlement, just desperation that he might somehow find a place again in his father house, this time no longer as his son, but now only as his servant.

Vs. 20-24 ²⁰ “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ²¹ And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ²³ And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; ²⁴ for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Having then prepared his confession he leaves that place and makes his way home to his father. Now when his father saw his son coming down the road, while he was still a great way off, he ran to him and fell on his neck and kissed him, in that moment we see longing love of God so wonderfully exemplified by the father running to his son, because no doubt he had spent many a day and night worrying about and looking for his sons coming down that old road, and so when he saw him he could not contain himself, all those pent out emotions came flooding out as he ran to him and fell on his neck and kissed him. Now though all this affection was being poured out on the son, he no doubt still bearing the shame and guilt of his sins began his confession to his father, saying ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ^{Vs. 21}
However, the father was not looking for a confession of guilt or wrong doing, (something his son already knew and deeply felt) he was simply looking for, and longing for his son. And so, when the father gathered himself together, he called out to his servants saying to them, “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ²³ And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; ²⁴ for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.” Now the father by his son in the best robe in his wardrobe shows just how God our father takes away our rags that we bear as sinful and unreconciled people to Himself, and then clothes us in the royal white robs of heaven when we return to Him in grace and truth. Same too with the father putting a ring back on his sons’ finger which was assigned only to family members, not servants, and certainly not to slaves! And so, in that moment the son himself would’ve begin to realize (if he hadn’t already) that his father had received him back, not as one of his servants, but as his son! And so, in that moment the Father was lifting all the weight and guilt and shame of his son’s sins from him. Something that will happen to you when you come home to God the Father through faith in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Now with the Father having received his son safely back to himself, he calls for some of his other servants to bring the fatted calf and to kill it so that they all might make merry and celebrate his sons return! “for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.” Now in Jesus Words we see the true nature of our spiritual condition as lost human beings who are separated from God; likewise being dead in our own sins and transgressions, before we are restored to God and made spiritually alive by Holy Spirit rebirth through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ’s Person Crucified and Risen from the dead (John 3:3; 3:16; Rom. 10:9-10, 13). And so just as the father rejoiced at his sons return to him so in heaven there is great rejoicing at every sinner who likewise repents and returns to God!

Vs. 25-32 ²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷ And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ ²⁸ “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ³⁰ But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ ³¹ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³² It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”

Now as all of this was unfolding the older brother was out in the field, and as he drew near the house, he heard the music and dancing (vs. 25). Music and dancing! And so, the older brother asked one of the servants what these things meant? Now why he didn’t just go up to the house himself is up for speculation. Anyway, when the servant told him that his once wayward brother had returned safe and sound, and that their father had killed the fatted calf to celebrate his sons return to him, he became angry and would not go in, therefore his father came out and pleaded with him (vs. 26-28). Now the older brother’s attitude is symbolic of the attitude of all those who likewise see themselves as having also kept all the commandments of God, who see themselves as also having faithfully followed or served Him, and so sadly their first instinct often is not to rejoice at the restoration of their lost brother, (whose actions or person they may only hold in contempt in their hearts). Their first instinct then is to only see an injustice that such grace, and celebratory grace at that, should be bestowed on someone so “undeserving.” Therefore when their father appeals to the older brother to come in and celebrate with them, he is steadfast that he will not go in and celebrate with them, saying to their father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ³⁰ But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ In the older brothers’ words all I hear is whole lot of selfishness. For he shows neither concern for his father, nor his brother, and what they both went through while separated from each other. For unless you have fallen and had no one to help pick you up, or you had nowhere to turn in your time of need, you can’t imagine the depths of despair that one feels when that happens. Same with having lost a loved one to the ruler of this world and not knowing where they are, and if they are okay. Thus, their restoration to each other calls for the greatest celebration and joy of heaven. Because it is for this reason the Jesus Christ suffered and died on the Cross so that He could bring us to life and restore us as whole people again back to God our Father in heaven. The father then having heard his eldest sons’ complaints and reasons why he won’t go in to celebrate with them now speaks reassuring words to him, before confirming his actions as being right to him, saying, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³² It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ” ^{vs. 31-21}
The church then and we as the people of it must always be people who do not impute people’s sins against them (2 Cor 5:19-21), but rather we must be people who rejoice with heaven every time someone repents and believes, and thus comes home to God the Father through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Scripture Quotations

New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson

Luke 15:8–10

⁸ “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ ¹⁰ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Commentary
In this Jesus’ second parable on the joy in heaven over just one sinner who repents, He now uses the analogy of a woman who having 10 silver coins, (which in ancient times would’ve represented a highly valued and treasured wedding gift) but having lost just one, diligently goes about seeking it. And so she begins by lighting a lamp, sweeping the house, and searching carefully until see finds it. And so here because the 9 other coins are already secure with her, her emphasis is again not on them, but on finding the lost coin. And when she finds it, she also calls her friends and neighbors together to come and rejoice with her, because finding that lost coin now makes her set complete again! Therefore, the Lord Jesus says, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Because the Kingdom of heaven is not complete until all that the Father has given to His Son is restored to Himself (John 6:37-40). The joy then in heaven is seeing God’s elect children being restored to Himself.

Scripture Quotations

New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson