Luke 15:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

NIV: So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.

NASB: And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.

CSB: So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant.

NLT: and he asked one of the servants what was going on.

KJV: And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

NKJV: So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

A loyal son has come in from working in his father's field. As he approaches the house, he hears a celebration: music and dancing (Luke 15:25). As the only son in his father's house, he's confused: what is this party and why didn't he know about it? He asks a servant what is going on. Years before, the son's younger brother had taken his inheritance and left. The older son either knows or strongly suspects that his brother wanted to spend the money on prostitutes (Luke 15:30). The younger son shamed their father and their family. But now he has returned, and their father has welcomed him home with a grand celebration (Luke 15:11–24).

The word for "servants" in this verse is the Greek word paidon. This refers to a particular servant of the house. In contrast, the younger brother's intent was to be his father's day laborer—tōn misthiōn (Luke 15:17)—and the older brother compares his own work to that of a slave, or doulos (Luke 15:29; Romans 6:20). The Greek for "asked" refers to a drawn-out process. The son and the servant have a conversation about what is going on.

During this discussion, it's possible the older son discovers his brother has not shown up expecting to return to his place in the family. He repented humbly. Either way, the older son knows that his father arranged for this celebration. He spent his resources celebrating the return of the son who betrayed and humiliated him yet gives no mind to the least pleasure his older son might wish for (Luke 15:27, 29).

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.