Luke 15:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

NIV: He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

NASB: And he longed to have his fill of the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving him anything.

CSB: He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything.

NLT: The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

KJV: And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

NKJV: And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

The coldly selfish son of a rich man has spent all his money (Luke 15:11–15). He has nothing to show for it, not even friends. A famine has swept across the land. The only work he can find is as a hired hand charged with feeding pigs. As a Jew, pigs are especially repulsive to him. Yet, in these circumstances, he has no other choice. Despite having work, the man cannot earn enough to properly feed himself. He wishes he had as much to eat as the pigs. He finds himself jealous of unclean animals because they get to eat.

The son had the wealth meant to build and raise a family and a legacy. He was poised to steward family land, maybe build a business, or add a trade. Before long, he'd be expected to marry and have children. This is the blessing God gave the Jews: obedience leads to a good harvest, a healthy family, and peace in the land (Leviticus 26:3–13).

Now the young man is destitute, and no one gives him anything. Everything is stripped away as it was for Judah: "All your lovers have forgotten you; they care nothing for you; for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy, the punishment of a merciless foe, because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant" (Jeremiah 30:14). But God promises restoration, too: "For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the LORD" (Jeremiah 30:17).

The "pods" mentioned here are described with the Greek term keratiōn. This may refer to husks such as those removed from crops. Most likely, however, these are the fruits of the carob tree. Carob pods have a sweet, fleshy taste vaguely like chocolate. They are fit for human eating—the point of this detail is not that the young man is desperate enough to eat something inedible. Rather, it's that he's fattening pigs while barely surviving, himself.

Luke 15:11–32 records the famous parable of the prodigal son. To be "prodigal" is to be wastefully extravagant. Jesus is speaking to Pharisees who condemn His association with sinners. His point is that God seeks sinners so they can be saved (Luke 15:1–10). In this parable, Jesus presses others to join God's celebration over the return of repentant sinners. This is one of the most detailed and developed parables in the Bible, almost on the level of allegory, and is unique to Luke. Next, Jesus teaches how the lives of Christ-followers should differ from those in the world (Luke 16:1—17:10).

To answer criticisms that He associates with sinners, Jesus tells three parables. A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to rescue a single lost member. A woman searches diligently to locate a lost coin. A father eagerly forgives his wayward son when the young man returns in humility and repentance. All these lead to celebration. In the same way, Jesus teaches that God cares about restoring those who have fallen, and we should mirror His joy whenever that happens.

Luke 15 contains three parables with the theme of something "lost." The lost sheep, coin, and son represent sinners who leave God foolishly, unknowingly, or rebelliously. God seeks the foolish and the ignorant and waits patiently for the rebel to return to Him in humble repentance. Next is a collection of teachings on the differences between worldly and kingdom living (Luke 16:1—17:10). After two more groups of a miracle, teachings on the kingdom, and teachings on salvation (Luke 17:11—19:27), Jesus will enter Jerusalem and prepare for the crucifixion.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.