Luke 15:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

NIV: "The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

NASB: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

CSB: The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’

NLT: His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. ’

KJV: And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

NKJV: 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.’

This is a beautiful example of whole-hearted repentance. The prodigal son found himself penniless and starving, used by acquaintances in the same way he had used his father. Finally, in desperation, he acknowledged his sin, recognized he needed to repent, and immediately set out to do so (Luke 15:13–19). "While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him" (Luke 15:20). The son could have stopped there. He could have accepted his father's love and hoped his father knew his intent, leaving no reason to say anything more about it.

For the first time, however, the son has the humility and integrity to own his shame. He fully realizes his position before his father and wants to live out of that truth. With that, he has fulfilled his responsibility. This is biblical repentance: acknowledging the truth about our sin and rebellion against God, desiring to change our ways, and asking Him to forgive us. This is not a work—a deed or an action—we must do to earn forgiveness. It's merely accepting and living out reality. To call it "work" throws contempt on the true work Jesus accomplished by hanging on the cross and taking the wrath of God our sin deserved.

Despite his plan (Luke 15:19), the prodigal son doesn't offer to be his father's servant. The father's display might make this inappropriate or the son may realize that even that offer would be an attempt to earn something he doesn't deserve. He is content to accept his father's decision. With the son's repentance, the rest is up to the father.

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.