Luke 15:1. Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
However sunken they might be, they knew their best Friend; they recognized their Benefactor, so they gathered around him. They knew who it was that smiled upon them, and who would fain uplift them; so they came clustering around him, like bees fly to the flowers: «Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.»
Luke 15:2. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
Where bees come, wasps often come, too. This murmuring of the Pharisees and scribes was after their nature; they were so proud, so wrapped up in themselves, they thought so contemptuously of everybody else, that they dared even to despise him whose shoe's latchet they were not worthy to unloose. «This man,» said they, «receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.»
Luke 15:3. And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
This is really a picture in three panels,Вѕa parable with three variations.
Luke 15:4-7. What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
There, no doubt, the Saviour looked at the Pharisees, who, though they did need repentance, yet thought they did not. Little or no joy did they ever bring to him; his heart never leaped with delight over them. Good as they thought themselves to be, they did not yield him so much joy as these poor publicans and sinners would when he had found them; and he was bent on doing that. Now, beloved, how much is a man better than a sheep? And if a shepherd will leave all his ease and comfort, to hunt after one stray sheep, how ought you and I, after the example of the Son of man, to be ready for any service, or any self-denial, by which we, too, in our poor measure may seek and save the lost! Now we have the second panel of the picture
Luke 15:8-10. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and search diligently till she find it And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, Saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Did the woman rejoice at finding her piece of silver, that she had lost, and shall not God much more rejoice over an inestimably precious human soul, which had been lost, but which, through grace, is found again? Ah, yes! there is joy in heaven, there is joy in all heavenly hearts, there is joy in all who are the friends of Christ, when lost ones are found! There was another quiet stroke at the Pharisees and scribes, who were proved not to be the friends of the soul-seeking Saviour, because they did not rejoice with him over those whom he had found. If they had been at all like the angels in heaven, as they thought they were, they would have been glad that the Lord Jesus Christ had come to seek and to find the lost. Then came the third most touching panel of the picture,Вѕperhaps the best beloved of all the parables,Вѕone which, like a key, fits the wards of the human heart, and many a time has opened the heart
Luke 15:11-13. And he said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that faileth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
It is clear that his heart had gone away from his father before he went away himself. He would not have wished to take from his father his portion of goods, or to be independent of his father, if he had not felt a spirit of alienation; and, therefore, what his father did developed the latent evil; just as, oftentimes, the loving mercy of God brings to the surface the concealed sin which is in man all the while; and then he sins the more openly. It is a grievous thing that even divine love should lead us to sin;Вѕnot of itself, but because of our evil nature, just as the sun shines, not that he may make the weeds to grow, or that he may help to lift into the air noxious effluvia. With goodwill itself as its only motive, ill may come even of the pure sunlight.
Luke 15:14-15. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
A very degrading employment for him as a Jew;Вѕperhaps, however, the best that the citizen of that country could do for him, for there was a famine in the land; and when men are all pinched with hunger, it is not much that one can do for another. And what can one poor sinner do for another? Even though he be called a priest, and puts on flue apparel, yet what can he do for his fellow-sinner?
Luke 15:16-17. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat. and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How ‘many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
«I, his son, perish with hunger, when there is not only enough in my father's house for his children, but for his hirelings, too; ay, and some to spare after that.» «Bread enough and to spare.» This was the thought, which drew the prodigal home, and it ought to draw sinners to Christ. There is, in the gospel, «bread enough' and to spare.» You know how some would, if they could, contract the provisions of grace; and make it out that there is bread enough, but they say that if there is anything to spare, it will be a waste. Why, it is that «spare» bread that is God's bait to catch poor souls with when they are cast down; «for,» say they, «if it is to spare, then, even if my father be angry with me, he will not deny me the spare bread for which there is no use, so I may well go, and ask for a portion of it.»
Luke 15:18-20. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Oh, the speed of divine love! There were delays with the son, but there were no delays with the father. At the first glance, the father's heart is made up, and he runs to meet his returning child. And what a welcome he gives him! He «kissed him much,» is the right rendering. Truly, this was prodigal love for the prodigal son.
Luke 15:21-22. 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.
But the father-Stopping him short, and for ever obliterating the rest of the prayer, so that he never had time to utter it, seeing that it was too legal to be permitted by his father's love: «But the father»Вѕ
Luke 15:22-25. Said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field:
At work, like the good son that he was.
Luke 15:25. And as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.
Which he did not often hear, for he was of a gloomy spirit, and there had not been cause for much rejoicing lately.
Luke 15:26. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
«What are you all up to in making such a noise? What new thing has happened to our orderly household to make it thus full of roistering and noisy gladness?»
Luke 15:27-28. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry,
It did not seem to him right that one, who had acted so badly, should be thus honoured: «He was angry,»Вѕ
Luke 15:28. And would not go in:
He did not believe in revivals, so he would not attend them; he did not believe in many being converted, especially if they had been great sinners; he would have nothing to do with them.
Luke 15:28. Therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
Oh, the goodness of the father, not only in receiving the returning prodigal, but in entreating this indignant and erring son, for he was greatly erring in this matter, and was not showing the true spirit of a son.
Luke 15:29-30. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed/or him the fatted calf.
«I am a consistent Christian; I have maintained the excellence of my moral character. I have tried to be orthodox, and attentive to all religious duties. Thou knowest that it is so; yet I seldom have any joy in my religion. ‘Thou never gavest me a kid.' I go trembling and mourning all my days. I get very little delight out of my religion; yet here is one just converted, and all this fuss is made over him; and he is rejoicing, too. Thou feastest him with the best fatted calf. He is as glad as glad can be, and everybody is glad about him; and nobody seems to take much notice of me. I go on my steady quiet course, and I have never caused thee such grief as this thy son has done.»
Luke 15:31. And he said unto him,Вѕ
So beautifully,
Luke 15:31. Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
And that is what the Lord seems to say to the believer, when he gets into that naughty spirit of the elder brother, and does not like to hear of sinners of the deepest dye being brought to Christ, and who disapproves of the jubilation and excitement at revival times. The Lord says to him, «Suppose you have not had such enjoyments; you may have them if you like, for you are ever with me. There is joy enough in that fact; and all that I have is yours. You are joint-heir with me. I have given you everything; what more do you want?»
Luke 15:32. And it was meetВѕ
It was fitting, it was proper,Вѕ
Luke 15:32. That we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brotherВѕ
«For he is thy brother. Notwithstanding thy richer experience, and thy deeper Christian knowledge, and thy high standing in the church, this poor prodigal, who is just saved, is thy brother; so it is meet that we should make merry, and be glad, for this thy brother»Вѕ
Luke 15:32. Was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.