Luke 15:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.

NIV: Jesus continued: 'There was a man who had two sons.

NASB: And He said, 'A man had two sons.

CSB: He also said, "A man had two sons.

NLT: To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: 'A man had two sons.

KJV: And he said, A certain man had two sons:

NKJV: Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.

Pharisees have criticized Jesus for fellowshipping with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus has given two parables that begin by identifying the main character and describing what the person has lost: a shepherd and his sheep, then a woman and her coin. The stories go on to explain that the main characters go out of their way to seek what's out of place. That includes both the foolish sheep and the unwitting coin. The owners return them to safety and celebrate their restoration. The parables reveal that God will seek out the foolish and the unwitting who wander away from Him (Luke 15:1–10).

This verse sets the scene for the third parable in the same way. The father is the main character and represents God the Father and Jesus. The sons are those who are lost. The parable, however, is more involved. Unlike the sheep and the coin, the younger son becomes lost because he rebels against his father and intentionally stays away (Luke 15:12–16). The older son is not lost geographically, but he is lost relationally (Luke 15:28–30).

How the father reacts is also unique. He doesn't search for the rebellious son. He waits until the son shows the slightest sign of repentance and then, rather scandalously, rushes to restore him (Luke 15:17–24). When the older son starts to act like he is lost relationally, the father goes to him and graciously explains that all he must do is turn around and realize they have always been together (Luke 15:31).

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.