Catholic Commentary on Luke 15

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." (Luke 15:20)

Three Parables of Mercy

The Pharisees and teachers of the law mutter: This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. Jesus responds not with a defence but with three parables. They are the most important thing he ever said about the nature of God, and Luke 15 is the most important chapter in the most important Gospel for understanding the heart of the Father. The three parables move from the lost sheep to the lost coin to the lost son, and each one increases in intimacy: a shepherd has a hundred sheep and loses one; a woman has ten coins and loses one; a father has two sons and loses one. The search becomes more personal with each telling.

A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep and searches for the lost one. When he finds it, he carries it home on his shoulders rejoicing. A woman loses one coin and sweeps the whole house until she finds it. When she does, she calls her neighbours to celebrate. In both cases Jesus says: There is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. The joy of God at the return of a sinner is not mild satisfaction. It is the throwing of a party.

The Prodigal Son

The third parable is the greatest story ever told. A younger son demands his inheritance while his father is still alive, an act of extreme disrespect, essentially wishing his father dead. He goes to a distant country and squanders everything. He ends up feeding pigs and longing to eat their food. Then, the text says, he came to himself. He rehearses a speech: I will go back to my father and say I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. He begins the journey home.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him. The father has been watching. He runs: the detail is extraordinary. A Middle Eastern patriarch does not run; it is undignified. He runs anyway. He throws his arms around the filthy, smelling, pig-herding son and kisses him. Before the boy can finish his rehearsed speech, the father calls for the best robe, a ring for his finger, sandals for his feet, and the fatted calf. The Catechism calls this parable the heart of the Gospel: the Father's mercy does not wait for repentance to be complete before it acts; it runs toward the first sign of a turning (CCC 1439).

The Elder Son

The elder son, faithful and obedient, is angry and will not come in. His father comes out to him, just as he went out to the younger. You are always with me, and everything I have is yours. The father does not rebuke the elder son for his virtue. He simply opens the door wider: We had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. The parable ends without telling us whether the elder son went in. The door is still open. The reader must decide.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the father in this parable is the face of God. He runs. He does not make the returning son prove himself before embracing him. He does not calculate the cost of the robe and the ring. He calls for a party. If you have been in a far country, this is the invitation: come to yourself, begin the journey home, and know that while you are still a long way off, the Father has already seen you coming and has already begun to run.

Prayer

Father, we have sinned against heaven and against you. We are not worthy to be called your children. But you run toward us while we are still far off. Throw your arms around us. Put the ring on our finger and the robe on our shoulders and call the feast. We are home. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

15
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
(Matthew 18:10–14)
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus. 2 So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
 
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, 6 comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
 
8 Or what woman who has ten silver coins * 15:8 Greek ten drachmas, each worth about a day’s wages and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
(Deuteronomy 21:18–21)
 
11 Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
 
13 After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.
 
14 After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.
 
17 Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death! 18 I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
 
20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
 
21 The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.† 15:21 WH includes Make me like one of your hired servants; see verse 19.’
 
22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
 
25 Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.
 
27 ‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’
 
28 The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.
 
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look, all these years I have served you and never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
 
31 ‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said, ‘and all that is mine is yours. 32 But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

*15:8 15:8 Greek ten drachmas, each worth about a day’s wages

†15:21 15:21 WH includes Make me like one of your hired servants; see verse 19.

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