Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: LUKE #28 - 15:1-32)
C. 15:1-32 REJOICE: WHEN THE DEAD LIVE. AND THE LOST ARE FOUND
1. 15:1-10 HEAVEN JOYFULLY RECEIVES REPENTANT BACKSLIDER
a. 15:1 Now all the publicans and :sinners were drawing near to him to hear him.
Esan de auTO egGIzon-tes [1448]PANtes hoi teLOnai [5057]kai hoi ha-mar-toLOI aKOUein auTOU.
b. 15:2 NIT-PICKING PHARISEES
kai di-eGOGgu-zon [1234] HOI te Pha-riSAIoi kai hoi gram-maTEIS, LEgon-tes HOti,
And both the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying that,
HOUtos ha-mar-toLOUS prosDEche-tai [4347], kai su-nesTHIei [4906]auTOIS.
This man receives sinners, and eats with them.
c. 15:3-4 THE LOST SHEEP
EIpen de pros auTOUS ten pa-ra-boLEN TAUten LEgon,
And he spoke unto them this :parable saying, 4What man of you,
Tis ANthro-pos ex huMON, Echon he-kaTON PROba-ta [4263], kai a-poLEsas [622]ex auTON hen,
having a hundred sheep, and having lost one of them,
ou ka-taLEIpei [2641] ta e-neNEkon-ta [1768]enNEa en te eREmo,
leaves not the ninety-nine in the wilderness,
kai poREUe-tai ePI to a-po-loLOS, HEos HEUre [2147]auTO?
and go after the lost, until he find it?
d. 15:5 And on finding it, lays iton his :shoulders, rejoicing.
kai heuRON, e-piTIthe-sin [2007]ePI tous Omous auTOU, CHAIron [5463].
e. 15:6 THE SHEPHERD'S REJOICING
kai elTHON eis ton OIkon, sun-kaLEI [4779] tous PHIlous kai tous GEIton-nas [1069], LEgon auTOIS,
And coming into the house, calls together his:friends and :neighbors, saying to them,
SunCHAreTE [4796] moi, HOti HEUron to PRObaTON mou to a-po-loLOS.
Rejoice with me, for I have found my :lost :sheep.
f. 15:7 APPLY THIS TO HEAVEN AND SINNERS
LEgo huMIN, HOti HOUtos chaRA en to ou-raNO EStai
I say unto you, that thus morejoy shall be in :heaven
ePI heNI ha-mar-toLO me-ta-noOUNti, e ePI e-neNEkon-ta enNEa diKAIois,
over one repenting sinner, than over ninety-nine righteous,
HOIti-ne ou CHREIan Echou-sin me-taNOIas.
who need no repentance.
g. 15:8 THE LOST PIECE OF SILVER
Etis huNE drachMAS Echou-sa DEka, eAN a-poLEse[622]drachMEN MIan,
Or what woman having ten sixpences, if she lose one sixpence,
ouCHI HAPtei LUCHnon [3088], kai saROI [4563] ten oiKIan, kai zeTEI e-pi-meLOS [1960] HEos hou HEUre?
does not light a lamp, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it?
h. 15:9 REJOICING OVER FINDING LOST COIN
kai heuROUsa, sun-kaLEI tas PHIlas
And having found it, calls together her:friends
kai GEIto-nas, LEgou-sa, SunCHAreTE moi, HOti HEUron ten drachMEN hen aPOle-sa.
and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the sixpence which I had lost.
i. 15:10 Thus, I say unto you, thereis joy before the angels of :God over one repenting sinner.
HOUtos, LEgo huMIN, GIne-tai eNOpi-on ton agGElon tou TheOU ePI heNI ha-mar-toLOme-ta-noOUNti.
2. 15:11-32 THE PRODIGAL SON
a. 15:11-12a FOOLISH REQUEST OF A YOUNG SON
EIpen de, ANthroPOS tis EIchen DUo huiOUS: kai EIpen ho neOte-ros [3501] auTON to paTRI, PAter,
And he said, a certain man had two sons: 12 and the younger of them said to the father, Father,
DOS moi to e-piBALlon MEros tes ouSIas [3776].
give methe portion of thesubstance that falls to me.
b. 15:12b And he divided for them his:living. ho de diEIlen [1244]auTOIS ton BIon [979].
c. 15:13 FOOLISH USE OF INHERITANCE
kai met' ou polLAS heMEras, su-na-gaGON
And not many days after, the younger son
PANta ho neOte-ros huiOS a-peDEme-sen eis CHOran [5561] maKRAN [3117];
gathered all together andjourneyed into a far country;
kai eKEI di-eSKORpi-sen [1287] ten ouSIan auTOU zon aSOtos [811].
and there wasted his :substance with riotous living.
d. 15:14 PAY DAY - SOME DAY
da-paNEsan-tos [1159] de auTOU PANta, eGEne-to liMOS [3042] i-schuRA [2478]
And when he had spent all, a mighty famine arose
kaTA ten CHOran eKEInen; kai auTOS ERxa-to hu-steREISthai [5302].
in that :country; and HE began to be in want.
e. 15:15 HIS POOR AND LOW ESTATE
kai po-reuTHEIS e-kolLEthe heNI ton po-liTON tes CHOras
And he went andjoined himself to one of the citizens of that :country;
eKEInes; kai Epem-psen auTON eis tous aGROUS auTOU BOskein [1006] CHOIrous [5519].
and he sent him into his :fields to feed swine.
f. 15:16 HIS LOW STATE EXPANDED
kai e-peTHUmei [1937] chor-tasTHEnai [5526] ek ton ke-raTIon [2769] hon ESthi-on [2068] hoi CHOIroi:
And he would fain have been filled with the husks that the swine did eat:
kai ouDEIS eDIdou auTO.
and no one gave to him.
g. 15:17 HE BEGINS TO THINK STRAIGHT
eis he-auTON de elTHON Ephe, POsoi MISthi-oi [3407] tou paTROS mou
But coming to himself he said, How many hired servants of my :father
pe-risSEUon-tai [4052] ARton, eGO de liMO HOde aPOLlu-mai [622]!
have loaves to spare, and I perish here with hunger!
h. 15:18-19 HE PLANS TO ACT UPON STRAIGHT THINKING
a-naSTAS poREUso-mai pros ton paTEra mou, kai eRO auTO,
I will arise andgo to my :father, and say to him,
PAter, HEmar-ton eis ton ou-raNON, kai eNOpiON sou:
Father, I have sinned against :heaven, and in your sight:
ouKEti eiMI Axi-os [514] kleTHEnai [2563] huiOS sou: POIeSON me hos HEna ton misTHIon sou.
19I am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired :servants.
i. 15:20a And he arose, andcame unto his own :father.
kai a-naSTAS, ELthen pros ton paTEra he-auTOU.
j. 15:20b THE FATHER'S RESPONSE
Eti de auTOU maKRAN aPEchon-tos [568], EIden auTON ho paTER auTOU,
But while he was yet afar off, his :father saw him,
kai e-splagchNISthe, kai draMON [5143], ePEpe-sen ePI tou TRAche-lon auTOU, kai ka-tePHIle-sen auTON.
and pitied him, and ran, andfell upon his :neck, and kissed him much.
k. 15:21 THE YOUNGER SON'S CONFESSION
EIpen de ho huiOS auTO, PAter, HEmar-ton eis ton ou-raNON,
And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against :heaven,
kai eNOpiON sou: ouKEti eiMI Axi-os kleTHEnai huiOS sou, POIeSON me hos HEna ton misTHIon sou.
and in your sight: I am no more worthy to be called your son, make me as one of your hired :servants.
l. 15:22-24a THE FATHER'S RESPONSE
EIpen de ho paTER pros tous DOUlous auTOU,
But the father said to his :bondmen,
TaCHU e-xeNEGka-te [1627] stoLEN [4749] ten PROten, kai enDUsa-te [1746] auTON;
Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him;
kai DOte dakTUli-on [1146] eis ten CHEIra auTOU, kai hu-poDEma-ta [5266] eis tous POdas:
and put a finger-ring into his :hand, and shoes on his:feet:
kai PHEre-te ton MOschon [3448] ton si-teuTON [4618], THUsa-te, kai phaGONtes,
23and bring the fatted :calf, killit, and let us eat,
eu-phranTHOmen: HOti HOUtos ho huiOS mou neKROS en, kai aNEze-sen; en a-po-loLOS, kai heuREthe.
andmake merry: 24for this my :son was dead, and is revived; was lost, and is found.
m. 15:24b And they began to make merry. Kai ERxan-to euPHRAInes-thai.
n. 15:25 THE OLDER SON
en de ho huiOS auTOU ho presBUte-ros en aGRO:
Now his :elder :son was in thefield:
kai hos erCHOme-nos EGgi-sen te oiKIa, Ekou-sen sum-phoNIas [4858] kai choRON [5525].
and as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
o. 15:26 And he called to himone of the servants, andinquired what these thingsmight be.
kai pro-ska-leSAme-nos HEna ton PAIdon, e-punTHAne-to [4441]ti an EIe TAUta.
p. 15:27 HE HEARS THE EXPLANATION
ho de EIpen auTO [HOti], Ho a-delPHOS sou HEkei;
And he told him [that], Your :brother is come;
kai Ethu-sen ho paTER sou ton MOschon ton si-teuTON, HOti hu-giAInon-ta [5198] auTON aPEla-ben.
and your :father has killed the fatted :calf, because he has received him safe andsound.
q. 15:28 But he was angry, and would not go in: and his :father came out, and entreated him.
orGISthe[3710]de, kai ouk Ethe-len ei-selTHEIN: ho de paTER auTOU e-xelTHON, pa-reKAlei auTON.
r. 15:29-30 HIS LASHING OUT AT THIS ACTION
ho de a-pe-kriTHEIS EIpen to paTRI auTOU,
But he answered and said to his :father,
I-DOU, toSAUta Ete douLEUo soi, kai ouDEpo-te
Lo, these many years I slave it for you, and I never transgressed
en-toLEN sou paRELthon [3928]; kai eMOI ouDEpo-te Edokas Eri-phon [2056],
your commandment; and never a kid you gave me,
HIna meTA ton PHIlon mou eu-phranTHO:
that I might make merry with my :friends:
HOte de ho huiOS sou HOUtos, ho ka-ta-phaGON [2719] sou ton BIon
30but when this your :son came, who has devoured your :living
meTA porNON [4204] ELthen, Ethu-sas auTO ton si-teuTON MOschon.
with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf.
s. 15:31 And he said to him, Child, YOU are ever with me, and all :mine are yours.
ho de EIpen auTO, TEKnon, su PANto-te met' eMOU ei, kai PANta ta eMA SA es-tin.
t. 15:32 HE ENLARGES UPON IT
eu-phranTHEnai [2165] de kai chaREnai [5463] Edei:
But it was proper to make merry and be glad:
HOti ho a-delPHOS sou HOUtos neKROS en, kai Eze-sen [2198]; kai a-po-loLOS [622], kai heuREthe.
because this your :brother was dead, and is alive; and waslost, and is found.
NOTE: (2010-12-14) - 15:1-10 - Many religious people become like Pharisees - all wrapped up in themselves - with no real concern for the rest of suffering mankind. This is notlike heaven - for therethe angels rejoice over the leastof mankind down on earth who find God!
Many years ago Ira D. Sankey - D. L. Moody's Song Leader in his Crusades - was in Scotland with Moody and came across the poem which had just been written - “The Ninety and Nine”. He was captivated by the words, and immediately sat down and set it to music. Then on his little portable organ he accompanied himself in singing it for the first time, possibly in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was at an outdoor meeting with thousands in attendance. It brought tears to the eyes of many, as he faithfully portrayed the spirit of Jesus as He first gave this story to the Pharisees and scribes of His day - trusting that the message might reach some of their hearts. He followed this story up with that of the woman who lost - but then found - one of her ten sixpence pieces.
15:11-32 - Jesus concluded his reasoning for eating with tax-collectors and sinners with the story of the Prodigal Son. The elder brother's hardness of heart towards his father's reception of his returning sinner-brother, should have touched Pharisaical hearts. It should also touch hearts of that same spirit today. George Muller had the type of heart that went out to orphans - and adults striving to make a living in his day. He started his orphanage holding 2000 orphans - not primarily for the sake of the orphans first - but by not asking anyone but God for the support of these orphans - then struggling bread-winners of his day might from this example gain faith to launch out and trust God for a living, and save them from burning the candle at both ends.
And notice, that the Pharisees of Jesus' day had little to commend them because of their selfish and critical spirit - yet Jesus evenreached out to them too! Look at Joseph of Arimathaea. He was one of the Sanhedrin which crucified Jesus. Yet he was not one of their spirit, but looked towards the coming Kingdom that Jesus preached, and became His disciple. Perhaps hewas one of the fruit that came because of Jesus' kindness and compassion towards all men! Nicodemus is another such example. And on the Cross, one of Jesus' last Seven Sayings was “Father, forgivethem - for they do not truly know what they are doing.” J.A.W.