Meditationen am Gnadenstuhl: Monday Easter VI - Luke 15

Monday Easter VI

Daily Lectionary Readings: Numbers 8:5-26; Luke 15:11-32; (SA 3/3:30-45)

Luke 15:11-32

[1] Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. [2] And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

[3] So he told them this parable: [4] “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? [5] And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. [6] And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ [7] Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

[8] “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? [9] And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ [10] Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

[11] And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. [12] And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. [13] Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. [14] And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. [15] So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. [16] And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

[17] “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! [18] I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ [20] And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. [21] 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.’ [22] But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. [23] And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. [24] For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

[25] “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. [26] And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. [27] And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ [28] But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, [29] but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. [30] But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ [31] And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. [32] It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” (ESV)

A. The Wider Context of the Text:

1. Why is Luke 15:1-2 such an appropriate introduction to Luke 15? Use the text of Luke 15 to support your answer.

Jesus preached and taught the people about repentance and the kingdom in chapters 13 and 14 in the context of table fellowship and the eschatological feast. In Luke 15:1-2 we learn the hearers are drawing near to Jesus, ἐγγίζοντες, in order to hear Him. The grammar indicates customary, continuous action. This has eschatological undertones as well as expressing the crowds continuous gathering to hear: to be catechized after being called to repentance and hearing of the kingdom. Time and location details are now no longer the focus, but the audience. As Jesus journeys toward Jerusalem and the cross, he continues teaching of the end-times banquet and rejection, and His eventual continued teaching of His secret presence and the rejection involved in following Him faithfully. Here in Luke 15, then, we hear of common rejoicing in the lost repenting and joining in table fellowship.

2. Many describe Luke 15, particularly the parable of the prodigal son, as the Gospel within the Gospel. What do you think they mean by this claim?

In the parables of Luke 15, Jesus proclaims the two ways – the way of life and the way of death as he preaches to those who have heard the need for repentance and gather for instruction, represented by the crowds and the younger son; likewise the Pharisees and the self-righteous older son, and the rejoicing in heaven at the feast when any of the lost are found, as per the coin, sheep, and younger son. The way of life is repentance followed by forgiveness and rejoicing in table fellowship as the church confesses Christ boldly. The way of death is self-righteousness and fear of persecution for confessing Christ. We see in this chapter the whole of the Gospel, that we cannot save ourselves and are in need of release from captivity by a Savior.

3. What is the relationship between the three parables in Luke 15? E.g. list the Lukan themes that are contained in Luke 15.

Luke 15 sets all three parables in the context of table fellowship, which is a theme continued from chapter 14. The words of the parables follow with Jesus’ actions of table fellowship with sinners, and the scandal and grumbling by the Pharisees toward such association with sinners in their self-righteousness. These parables continue Luke’s themes of restoration, joy at the restored, and invitation to join in the joyful celebration of table fellowship.

4. How might the parables of Luke 15 illuminate the meaning of the parable of the unjust steward in Luke 16?

The parable of the unjust steward is not focused on the steward’s dishonesty, but rather the lord’s grace toward him. Likewise, the father’s grace and mercy toward the younger son in the parable of the prodigal is the focus in chapter 15. It isn’t the actions of the steward that earn him this grace, it is his lord’s mercy alone. This is paralleled by the father’s mercy toward the younger son, who when confronted by the father’s grace accepts that his “prepared remarks” are unnecessary, it is the father’s mercy alone that makes the lost son welcome, and the steward forgiven, despite his actions and apart from them. Both are eschatological in nature, as both are in a situation with no hope for survival, aside from grace.

5. Describe briefly how Luke 15 anticipates Luke’s passion and resurrection narratives in Luke 22-24.

The parables of Luke 15 speak to the invitation to fellowship which is rejected by the self-righteous and accepted by the lost seeking release. Luke focuses on the self-righteous Pharisees, preparing us to see the charges leveled by them on Jesus at His trial, which are summarized in Jesus’ teaching to the Emmaus disciples in 24:20. Jesus teaches those disciples on the road and at table reveals Himself. It is Jesus’ table fellowship that causes the Pharisees offense in Luke 15:2.The lost who suffer in their sin, were once dead in their sin and found alive, exemplified in the younger son in the parable of the prodigal, anticipates Jesus’ death and resurrection in 24:26. The necessity of Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf points us to our repentance by grace and our participation in His death and resurrection in baptism and especially in table fellowship in the context of Luke 15. Through His passion and resurrection, the Good Shepherd seeks out the lost sheep, the father welcomes his prodigal son back among the living. The entire communion of the found rejoices with Him in the celebration of this great joy at the table. We are able to feast on the fatted calf, sacrificed for this eschatological joy in fellowship, shown in the feat at the prodigal’s return, realized in Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, and revealed in the breaking of the bread at Emmaus.

B. The Meaning of the Text:

1. Explain the theological significance of the verb “were all drawing near” (15:1) in Luke’s Gospel.

Ἦσαν δὲ αὐτῷ ἐγγίζοντες πάντες: ἐγγίζοντες connotes eschatology, the nearness of the kingdom. The people were drawing near to the secret presence of the kingdom in Jesus, revealed in His table fellowship and miracles. Luke uses this term frequently in Luke/Acts to emphasize this secret presence of the kingdom.

2. What is the theological significance that people were drawing near “in order to hear” Jesus (15:1)?

ἀκούειν αὐτοῦ: infinitive with purpose. The hearers wanted to come and hear (and continue to hear) the Word. Luke uses this as a term for catechumens “hearers of the Word” at Gennesaret, the Sermon on the Plain, and in the Parable of the Sower. In Luke we see the significance of the pattern of Christian initiation as modeled by Jesus Himself. Jesus welcomes sinners to the table, welcomes them to hear the Word.

3. What is the theological significance that the Pharisees and scribes “were grumbling” (15:2)?

Contrasting with the crowd’s continual gathering to hear the word, we have the Pharisees’ διεγόγγυζον, continual grumbling. They have grumbled before about Jesus table fellowship with Matthew Levi in 5:30, and with Zacchaeus in 19:7. They will continue to grumble about Jesus’ choice of table companions right to the bringing of charges against Him. The self-righteous reject confessing that Jesus is the Christ for fear of persecution and loss of lifestyle, relying on their own works instead of receiving the Word and the invitation to the table. They are like the elder son in the Parable of the Prodigal, who grumbles at the celebration feast, and points to his own merits as though they are what make him worthy of the father’s grace.

4. Discuss the implications of the accusation by the Pharisees and scribes that “This man receives sinners and eats with them” (15:2)?

οὗτος ἁμαρτωλοὺς προσδέχεται καὶ συνεσθίει αὐτοῖς: “this man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus actively welcomes sinners to the table, it is His ongoing custom. The penalty for this “sin” cf. Dt. 21:33-23 is death and hanging on a tree. In Acts (5:30; 10:39) Luke uses this image of Jesus’ rejection “put to death by hanging on a tree” and reinforces the table fellowship “we who ate and drank with Him after He arose.”

5. What three themes are introduced in 15:6? List the themes using the Greek, and then briefly describe each theme in the context of Luke’s Gospel.

συγχαίρω: to rejoice with, the main theme of chapter 15, which is connected to the other two themes of ἀπόλλυμι (to lose, or to be destroyed) and εὑρίσκω (to find). All three are introduced in the parable of the lost sheep (15:6). Luke’s theme of rejoicing over the what was lost being found runs through the parable of the lost coin (15:9) the son thought dead restored and embraced (15:24) and the invitation to the feast table, to share in the joy at what was lost being found (15:32).

6. Repentance (15:7) is a great Lukan and Lutheran theme. Briefly discuss the theme of repentance in Luke-Acts.

μετανοέω: (to repent): Luke uses “repent” throughout Luke/Acts, beginning with John the Baptist preaching a baptism of repentance to the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3, 8); Jesus’ declaration of calling sinners to repentance (5:32); the great woe passage before the sending of the seventy (10:13); the sign of Jonah (11:32); Jesus’ preaching of repentance (and God’s patient grace in waiting for it!) in 13:1-9; at at the end of the parable of the lost sheep (15:7); the rich man and Lazarus (16:30); and when asked how often to forgive (17:3-4). This is continued in Acts with not only direct references to John the Baptist calling for repentance and pointing toward the One to come (Acts. 13:24; 19:4), but calling people to repentance themselves (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22); testifying to the need for repentance (Acts 20:21, 26:20) as it is a command of God in these end times (Acts 17:30) but most importantly that we are “repented” by God through Christ’s work on our behalf (Acts 5:31; 11:18).

Throughout Luke/Acts there is a call to repentance and through our conversion, we begin to change: to produce truly good works as a natural consequence of grace. This is the way, a new life granted through true sorrow for our sin, knowing that we are forgiven and that we have died and risen with Christ as a new creature. Jesus preached against the hypocrisy of thinking we can merit any forgiveness from God, and that only by receiving his grace do we have faith that God has granted us repentance that leads to the way of life ( cf. Acts 11:18). Every day, we die and rise with Him, until the new creation is perfected on the day of His return. (I’m sorry, that wasn’t brief).

7. What does the expression “does not light a lamp” (15:8) refer to in Luke? List your cross references and describe the theological implications of these references.

ἅπτει λύχνον, light a lamp: With no light from outside to search for the coin, a light must be lit within the home. This alludes back to Jesus’ teaching in Lk. 8:16-18 to the disciples. No one would light a lamp and then cover it. The light is the Gospel, and the lamp on its stand is the Church. The church is to be a beacon into the darkness of the world. Come, see the light! It is not secret knowledge, but a revealing of Christ as the way of life. Likewise in Luke 11:33-36, the light of the Gospel is to reside in our churches, and its teaching to remain pure. If our doctrine and good order is not pure, it is like a cloudy eye that does not see clearly. In other words, the body (the church) must be fully illuminated by pure teaching and practice to insure healthy faith through the right administration of Word and Sacrament and correct catechesis, the theme of which runs throughout Luke/Acts.

8. What Lukan theme is suggested by “seek diligently” (15:8)?

ζητεῖ ἐπιμελῶς: We are to seek diligently for God’s grace: forgiveness, a seat at the table, and the kingdom by bringing our petitions to Him in prayer – and it is ours for the asking, because He has promised that this is so (Luke 11:9-13) in how He has taught us to pray (Luke 11:2-4). If we seek His kingdom, He graciously wills to give it to us (Luke 12:32) and all other, lesser, things will follow (12:29-30).

9. When the younger son says, “Father, give me” (15:12), this is the first of seven imperatives (commands), all of them in the first section of the parable of the prodigal son. List the other imperatives. Is there any theological significance to this observation, and if so, what is it?

The other imperatives are (bring, put, put, bring… kill) in verses 22-23 and (celebrate) in verse 24. In the first four, the son is restored and the goods given him prepare him for the feast – a visible sign to the community that he is, in fact, restored. The imperative means this is a command, that these things are necessary, and not an option. The son has been restored to the father, and the community must receive the son back in the same manner. The imperative to kill (sacrifice) the fatted calf offers them the opportunity to express their acceptance of the son back into their community also. The final imperative, celebrate, alludes also to the acceptance of the son back into the whole community. Theologically, the grace of the father (his running to embrace him) institutes the son’s repentance, and restorations follows immediately after. Likewise we are gifted with repentance and are restored to God. The outward signs are the robe (of righteousness) the ring (of authority) and the shoes (of a free man – we are released). We, too are to accept those who repent in table fellowship, the celebration of the once for all sacrifice of Jesus, represented by the fatted calf. We are to unite in communion at table with each other, all reconciled to our Father in heaven, restored in body and soul by the sacrifice and participating in the resultant feast in unity.

Theologically, the initial imperative would imply that in the son’s mind, he has received all the father has to offer; imagine his surprise at his reception upon his return! The other five imperatives indicate not only does the father have more grace to bestow, but that this grace is necessary upon the son’s return! God rejoices when one of His own returns and repents, and He finds it necessary to lavish us with His free grace.

10. Who are the major characters in the parable? Who is the main character? Who might the prodigal son represent? The elder brother? The father? Defend your answers using Luke’s Gospel.

The major characters in the parable are the Father, who is Jesus with His mission of restoration and table fellowship; the younger son, who represents the lost (directed to the “sinners and tax collectors” of the crowd, and represents us as well) and when faced with a rock-bottom dead end seek reconciliation and repents; the elder brother who represent the Pharisees and scribes (and us as well as the audience of listeners) who in self-righteousness deny the free grace of God and look to their own works to achieve that grace, and the fatted calf which is also Christ himself.

The same reason for the killing of the fatted calf is the reason for the necessity of Jesus’ death and resurrection: those lost and dead in sin are found and restored in the feast (Luke 24:26). Jesus represents the loving father who gives all that he has to the sons, restores the younger son, rejoicing in his return, and invites everyone to the feast. This is parallel to the parable of the great banquet in Luke 14.

The younger son and his restoration harkens back to Jesus sermon at Nazareth in 4:18-19. The younger son received his instruction in the years he spent in his father’s house, and when he had no other place to turn, recalled that proclamation of release and restoration, and the promise of the Jubilee.

The elder brother reflects very blatantly the “grumbling” of the Pharisees and scribes over Jesus’ table fellowship habits in 5:30; 19:7; & 15:2.

11. What is significant that the father “divided his property between them” (15:12)?

The sons were made equal co-heirs to the father’s estate, rather than an unequal division as would have been customary after the father’s death. Both receive the equal measure of the father’s love. This would be beyond shocking to the hearers of the parable.

12. What are the theological implications that the younger son “gathered all he had” (15:13)?

The younger son gathered all that he had, to make it portable (possibly cash) for his journey out of the community. He was preparing to keep everything for his own selfish use. This is already implied in asking his father for the inheritance before the father’s death. Theologically, he excommunicated himself from the fellowship of the community.

13. The traditional name of this parable about “the prodigal son” comes from the “reckless living”(15:13). Explain what is meant by the English title.

Prodigal, from Late Middle English, extravagant, possibly derived from a Norse noun retained in Old Icelandic: pruðleikr meaning show or ornament and the adjective pruðliga, in a showy, magnificent or stately manner.; or putting on the airs of a king. The exact opposite of thrift. Reckless or carefree living with no concern for stewardship is living with no care for one’s own future, let alone the ability to care for a neighbor in need..

14. Explain why the younger brother hits the bottom when it says: “And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.” (15:16).

The younger brother hits bottom when he became an employee of Gentiles (a scandal by itself), feeding unclean animals (now he is unclean himself, a true outcast), and longing to eat what they ate which was hardly fit for human nourishment. Now penniless and the lowest of the low, he is friendless as well with no one to help him.

15. Where else does the language of “satisfaction” occur in Luke’s Gospel (15:16)? What “theology” is at play with this concept?

The beatitudes 6:21: blessed are those who hunger now for they will be satisfied

At the feeding of the five thousand 9:17: all were satisfied.

The younger son longed to be satisfied with food of no value. He had left the source of nutritional food in his father’s house. He made his inheritance perishable, and caused himself to be defiled. God gave his children manna, just enough for what they required. The younger son would be satisfied at the feast upon the return to his father’s house, where he would receive his true inheritance, imperishable and undefiled cf. I Pt. 1:4. We receive the eternal food at the Lord’s table as well. All leave satisfied, and there is enough for all who gather. There is God’s grace enough that, like the twelve baskets of leftovers (one for each apostle) at the feeding of the five thousand, His grace is to be shared in fellowship to all the lost who seek it. The source of satisfaction is not in the things of this world, yet we are given enough in this world to share with our neighbor. In so doing (as this good work comes from God, not ourselves) they may come to know true satisfaction in God’s grace.

16. Explain why the following statement in 15:18-19 by the prodigal son is his “initial repentance” that would be affirmed by the Pharisees: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”

The pharisaical outlook would be one of deep sorrow over their sin, as well as a desire to make amends for that sin through outward signs that they were deserving of reconciliation. By being treated as a hired hand rather than a son, the younger son could “work off” his transgressions and earn his way back into the father’s good graces. The Pharisees would have thought this program completely conformed to their self-righteous views.

17. Explain why the phrase “But while he was still a long way off” (15:20) is one of the most profound statements of the Gospel in Luke.

Ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος: The father’s total acceptance of the son occurs as soon as the father gains sight of him: that is the moment the lost is found. The compassion precedes the confession. The prodigal sought and found total acceptance by the father. This parallels the seeking and finding in the parables of the coin and the sheep that introduced chapter 15. The initiative of the finding and the repentance is on the father, not the son! Repentance is gifted to us by God as His initiation, not our work.

18. The expression “felt compassion” (15:20) is an important word in Luke’s Gospel. What is the meaning of this expression? Compare it’s use here with other occurrences in Luke’s Gospel.

ἐσπλαγχνίσθη, σπλαγχνίζομαι; “felt compassion”, “to feel compassion”: This is also used of Jesus at 7:13 when He saw the widow and at 10:33 when the Samaritan saw the man who was robbed and beaten in Jesus’ taught about who our neighbor is when the lawyer tried to justify himself to Jesus when asking how to inherit eternal life. Here, the widow has nothing, no means of support – this is her “rock-bottom”. Likewise, the beaten man near death. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father’s compassion precedes repentance, and correlates to the seeking in the previous parables of Luke 15. The compassion is the grace of God. Our compassion toward our neighbor in need is a gift from God as a consequence of His grace.

19. Explain why the following statement in 15:21 is a true repentance: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” How does this differ from the initial repentance.

In the initial repentance, the son wants to participate in his reconciliation, to “work off” his wrongdoing as a hired man to earn his way back into his father’s house. His true repentance however, follows after his complete restoration to his father, and overwhelmed by the way he is received by his father (overwhelming grace) he confesses his sins and stops right there. He realizes it is not about the squandered inheritance, but the mending of the relationship between himself and the father. That mending cannot be done by the son, but is a total gift from the father, freely given.

20. List the five imperatives in Luke 15:22-23. Explain their significance.

The five imperatives are (bring, put, put, bring… kill) In the first four, the son is restored and the goods given him prepare him for the feast – a visible sign to the community that he is, in fact, restored. The imperative means this is a command, that these things are necessary, and not an option. The son has been restored to the father, and the community must receive the son back in the same manner. The imperative to kill (sacrifice) the fatted calf offers them the opportunity to express their acceptance of the son back into their community also.

21. How does Luke use the word “to sacrifice” (15:23) and its derivatives in his Gospel. Write a brief paragraph that illustrates why this word is so important to the theology of Luke’s Gospel.

θύω; verb, to slaughter, sacrifice

θύσατε; verb, used 15:23, 27, & 30 in reference to the fatted calf & 22:7 referring to the sacrifice of the Passover lamb.

θυσίαν; noun, referring to the sacrifice required as an offering for every male who first opens the womb at 2:24 and again at 13:1 where we hear of the Galileans whose blood was mixed with their sacrifices by Pilate.

θυσιαστήριον; (altar) noun, used at 1:11 the altar of incense where the angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah to announce the conception of John the Baptist and again at 11:51 referring to the stoning death of Zechariah between the altar and sanctuary (II Chr. 24:21).

Luke uses the word “to sacrifice” and refers to the altar, the place where the sacrifice is made to connect the hearer to the sacrifice of the passover lamb. Jesus’ repetition of the word “to sacrifice” three times in this parable, plus Luke’s use of the word directly before the Last Supper narrative in preparing for the Passover meal connect the inauguration of Jesus’ passion as the Paschal Lamb to be sacrificed for the sins of the world to the Eucharist, where we receive the body and blood of our Lord from the altar. Luke uses this Eucharistic and sacrificial language as a catechetical reinforcement of the themes of death and new life through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus in which we participate through baptismal regeneration and table fellowship in communion with our brothers and sisters at the Lord’s table.

22. The Father exclaims: “Let us eat and celebrate” (15:23). How might this expression fit into Luke’s table fellowship and his theology of the Lord’s Supper.

φαγόντες εὐφρανθῶμεν: let us eat and celebrate. Εὐφραίνω is used particularly in the enjoyment of meals (cf. 12:19; 16:19) by Luke. The main theme of joy in Luke is expressed again and again in the celebration of table fellowship. Joy results from the experience of salvation, being found once having been lost (salvation). This comes through Jesus Christ, the sacrificed fatted calf, given to all at the feast by the father (God the father) who rejoices at one of His childrens’ return through that salvation (cf. All the parables of the lost, the Last Supper narrative). The father’s grace gifting repentance and absolution immediately leads into the command to prepare the feast. The table fellowship of all who gather acknowledges that they, too, share in the joy and are incorporated together in one community of common confession (acknowledging the lost son back into the community), likewise in the Lord’s Supper we join together in common confession of faith to enjoy the benefits of this table fellowship: joy and the forgiveness of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, joy at a place at the table in this world and the hope (which means a promise) of a seat at the eschatological feast in the world to come.

23. What is the expression “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” a reference to (15:24)? Give a parallel in Paul’s epistles and explain why it is a parallel.

• Rom.11:15 Speaks to the hope that the Jews might be reconciled to God, even as the Gentiles acceptance of the Gospel is “life from the dead”.

• Eph.2:1 “dead in your trespasses and sins” 4-5: “God being rich in mercy… even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together.”

• (On walking together in God’s love): Eph. 5 everything that that becomes visible is light (fruits of the spirit), v.13; “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” v.14

• Col. 2:13 “When you were dead in your transgressions… He made you alive together with Him” v.15: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… to which you were called in one body”.

• I Tim. 5:6 “But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead, even as she lives.”

Being lost and found is a parallel to being dead and alive in the parable of the prodigal. Being dead and becoming alive is direct Pauline language, not only to baptismal regeneration but also to ll sacramental forgiveness and new life in the means of grace, and the context of the cited passages clearly shows. Being dead in sin and self-righteousness and obtaining new life through grace and the power of the Holy Spirit is implicit in the parable of the prodigal, new life shared in table fellowship a theme running throughout Luke, and rebirth (the dead in sin being raised to new, forgiven, life in Christ) runs in parallel themes throughout the Pauline corpus.

24. What does it say about the elder son that “he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant” (15:26)? What are his responsibilities at a feast like this?

The elder son shouldn’t have questioned what was happening. As soon as he heard the sound of festivities, he should have run to attend to his duties in overseeing the arrangements of the feast, so that his father could host the event. He was already shirking his duties, just as he shirked his duty in reconciling the younger brother to the father when the younger brother asked for his inheritance early. Instead of doing what is proper, he continues doing what he thinks earns him his position, alluding to the self-righteousness of the Pharisees. This also beings to set up the second part of the parable, when the elder brother sees for whom the feast is arranged, and the insults to the father and false witness against the younger brother to follow.

25. What does it say about the father that he “came out and entreated” the elder son (15:28)? How would the village respond to the father’s actions?

The father coming to the son rather than the other way around is telling. This is the third act of great love and grace performed by the father in this parable. It would have been unbelievable shocking for the father to do this, particularly in public. The village would have thought this as unspeakable as the father’s equal division of the inheritance at the outset of the narrative. Here we have more “irrational” behavior by the father, illustrating God’s incomprehensible grace and love.

26. List the seven insults of the father by the elder brother in 15:27-30.

1. The elder son uses no title in addressing his father.

2. The elder son affects the attitude of a slave, not a son.

3. The elder son insults his father in public, yet has the audacity to make the claim “I never once transgressed your command”.

4. The elder son accuses the father of favoritism “you never gave me...”

5. The elder son declares that he is not part of the family (implicit by not entering the feast as would be his duty to oversee as the elder son).

6. The elder son declares that partying with his friends is a good means of celebration, but rejoicing at the return of his “dead” younger brother is not.

7. The elder brother bears false witness against his younger brother, which would also be insulting to his father’s reputation, a double insult.

27. Jesus ends the parable by saying: “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad” (15:32). Describe how this phrase encapsulates some of the major themes in Luke’s Gospel.

Luke’s “theology of joy” begins in chapter 14 with the parables of the wedding feast and the great banquet. Eating and celebrating are mentioned throughout, and form the core of Luke’s ongoing narrative of joy in reclining at table in the kingdom of God (14:15) and those who are self-righteous are called to repentance. We are to rejoice at the lost who are found, the dead who are made alive again. Verse 32 of chapter 15 emphasizes the necessity of rejoicing with all those already at the feast and those who are added to the feast. This imperative of communion in table fellowship is beautifully structured in this parable to parallel Jesus’ other parabolic teachings, and His parabolic actions of being present at the table of sinners. As He teaches us, it is necessary to rejoice when He is at the table.

28. In the second chiasm with the older brother, the parable is left open-ended. Give two possible endings for the parable, and explain the meaning of your choices in the context of Luke’s Gospel.

Which was will the elder brother follow, the way of life or the way of death? Will he enter the festal hall, or stay outside the communion? In the context of Luke’s Gospel, the Pharisees have their self-righteousness pointed out as they condemn Jesus’ table fellowship. They, as the elder brother in the parable have a choice: to repent and enter the feast, or remain dead themselves by self-excluding rejection of the father’s grace and love in the invitation to the feast. Called to repentance, the divine necessity is to join in the communal celebration. We will see the Pharisees ultimately reject this invitation, even as they have used Jesus’ table fellowship as a charge against Him.

29. Some have suggested that there are two chiasms in Luke 15:11-32, one for each son. Is such a conclusion helpful in interpreting the parable? Explain your answer using the text of the parable.

There are two parallel chiasms in the parable of the loving father and the two sons. The first follows the younger son, and the second the elder. Both follow a pattern of ABCC’B’A’ like the parables of Luke 15:4-10.

The first, regarding the younger son (15:11-24) follows loss (13), seeking to be found (the plan 17-20), and invitation to rejoice at the finding(20b -23), the rejoicing itself (24b), and emphasis that this rejoicing is necessary because of the finding (24a). This is helpful in understanding that it is God who seeks the sinner and gifts true repentance, inviting us to the feast, and that the communal feasting is necessary.

The second follows a similar pattern, but this one is addressed to the self-righteous Pharisees. In this chiasm, the elder brother comes (A, v.25), hears the younger brother is found (B, v.27), a repetition of a cycle of reconciliation attempted by the father and rejection by the older son (C1-C’1-C2-C’2 vv.27-32) with v. 32 having the emphasis of the imperative of communal feasting, yet leaves the second chiastic dialogue between the father and the elder son open with no resolution of what the elder son will do. In these two chiasm, then, we see the two possible ways: the way of life, accepting grace and the gift of repentance and entry to the feast, and the possibility of following this way of joy in the rejoicing of table fellowship, or remaining in the self self-imposed way of death, cutting oneself off from the communion thinking one’s own works merit grace. This structure allows us to see Luke’s table fellowship threads in his Gospel which speak to the action of God’s love to the repentant sinner, the effectiveness of His grace, and by invitation calls the opponents of Jesus’ table fellowship to repentance and to a place at the table with Him.

C: The Application of the Text:

1. Where does the parable of the prodigal son occur in the church year? Explain why this is helpful in preaching on this parable?

This parable occurs in Lent shortly before Holy Week. This is helpful in preaching on the parable, as it is a call to repentance and a message of the joy and benefits of table fellowship. Lent, being a penitential season, already focuses the hearts and minds of the church on the themes of repentance, and will lead to the joy of the institution of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday, the bitter-sweetness of Our Lord’s crucifixion as the sacrificed fatted calf that reconciles us to our Father in heaven, and again the joy of our Resurrected Lord on Easter morning, when alleluias return to the liturgy and we sing in joyful celebration at the table again. The parable focuses us like a laser on the themes of repentance, our utter hopelessness without the free gifts of repentance and forgiveness, and the folly of rejecting such precious gifts summarized in a beautiful parable.

2. This is one of the most beloved parables in the Gospels. Why do you think this parable connects with people?

Continuing with the thoughts in the answer to the question above, this is probably why this parable resonates so strongly with people. When we despair of our own hopelessness in this world from our own sin and feelings of isolation, we can easily find ourselves in the position of the younger son. What comfort and release can be found in the rejoicing of the father welcoming his wayward son home, fully restored and celebrated as beloved! Likewise, we feel the sting of the law in our own self-righteousness in the role of the elder son, and are called to repentance, and find ourselves again gifted with true repentance, forgiveness, restoration and joy at our place at the table.

3. Write a paragraph describing how the mercy of Jesus is reflected in this parable?

Jesus’ mercy in seen in this parable by the actions of the father. Our broken relationship with God is repaired by Christ’s salvific work on our behalf. It is the father in the parable that closes the rift between himself and the younger son. The younger son’s repentance flows as a response to this overwhelming love. Likewise, Jesus demonstrates in His preaching, teaching, and actions that the kingdom of God is open to all repentant sinners. It is precisely these sinner that Jesus sits and eats with during His ministry freely offering His mercy through miracles and forgiveness of sins, calling to the lost with words of release and waring the self-righteous to repent. The father in the parable offers free grace and overwhelming mercy on the lost son as well as to the elder son. Ultimately Jesus goes to the cross to die and rise, that we who are dead in our sin – lost – may be found alive again. The father invites the entire community to celebrate in the feast of the sacrificed fatted calf in table fellowship. We see illustrated here the radical lengths God will go to initiate repentance and restore sinners to community and the kingdom.

4. Write a paragraph describing how repentance and joy are at the center of Luke’s theology.

Luke’s narrative displays his theology of repentance and joy throughout his account of Jesus’ parabolic actions and Jesus’ parabolic teachings, as well as his other words and actions. In them, we see Jesus’ continual proclamation that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the hearers now by their very hearing and His physical presence and table fellowship, and looks forward to the eschatological joy of the kingdom in eternal life with Him in His presence as well. The theme of the great reversal emphasizes this, that the suffering of the hearers of the Gospel now have the benefits and joy of the kingdom of God, and rejoice in Jesus bodily presence among them, the settings around meals highlighting this joy, and pointing toward the real presence in table fellowship after His ascension, which in turn points us to the heavenly wedding feast and its indescribable joy. Receptive hearers of this grace are called to repentance and Jesus continually preaches not against the sinner (who he welcomes) but against the hypocrisy of believing we have anything to do with our reconciliation to God. This is illustrated by Luke in his recording Jesus’ preaching against the Pharisees, who embody the self-righteous mindset.

5. Write a paragraph describing how this parable reflects our baptismal theology.

Our baptismal theology is reflected in this parable by the theme of what was once dead being brought back to life. Both sons were cut off from the household of the father. In baptism, the old sinful self is drowned and a new man is reborn. Our righteousness, which was lost is restored to us through the waters of baptism as a gift of grace and love by God. We this this love and grace in the father of the parable, freely offering both to both sons. The younger son is restored fully and is born anew. The older son may resist this grace, but the grace will be effectual with repentance. Both are gifts of the father which parallel the free gifts of God. We do not make a decision, but respond to that grace with repentance (which is initialed by God) and accept the free gift of sonship.

6. Write a paragraph describing how this parable reflects our Eucharistic theology.

This parable reflects our Eucharistic theology of uniting under a common confession of faith. We are united in faith that Jesus Christ is the once for all sacrifice for the sins of the world, that the forgiveness is ours freely given, and all its benefits given us by trust in our Lord’s words. We see this in the command “it is necessary to make merry and rejoice” in the lost who are found. We see that we are fully restored by participation in the Sacrament by the restoration of the younger son to full status and the preparation of the feast. We see that the motion of the feast is from God to us, and that our repentance comes from Him in the irrational love of the father for the younger son and his orders to dress the boy as a restored son and the sacrifice of the fatted calf which was prepared for the purpose of feasting in just this occasion – the sinner restored to righteousness with God as a free gift.