Luke 15:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.

NIV: After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

NASB: Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began doing without.

CSB: After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.

NLT: About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.

KJV: And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

NKJV: But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

Jesus is telling the parable of the "prodigal" son. The term "prodigal" refers to wasteful, excessive spending. A son has dishonored his father by requesting the wealth expected to come from his father's death. He takes this money and then moves far away. He wants to live as if his father has died. He spends the money on prostitutes (Luke 15:30) and other pleasures which provide hate and death in the guise of love and life. He has rejected everything good and honorable his father has provided him (Luke 15:11–13).

In love, the father gave the son what he wanted and let him go, but the son cannot escape God. As David said, "If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,' even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you" (Psalm 139:11–12). At the very moment the boy comes to the end of his ability to fend for himself, God takes away the community's ability to help or even care.

We are short-sighted in our sin but God is patient. He is willing to let us fall and then make us fall further if that's what it will take to show us where we are. It doesn't have to come to such extremes. God is willing to accept our repentance at any point in our sin. However, we must be paying attention.

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.