Luca 15:25 Commento

Evil manners, we say, beget good laws; so, in this chapter, the murmuring of the scribes and Pharisees at the grace of Christ, and the favour he showed to publicans and sinners, gave occasion for a more full discovery of that grace than perhaps otherwise we should have had in these three parables which we have in this chapter, the scope of all of which is the same, to show, not only what God had said and sworn in the Old Testament, that he had no pleasure in the death and ruin of sinners, but that he had great pleasure in their return and repentance, and rejoices in the gracious entertainment he gives them thereupon. Here is, I. The offence which the Pharisees took at Christ for conversing with heathen men and publicans, and preaching his gospel to them (Luk 15:1, Luk 15:2). II. His justifying himself in it, by the design and proper tendency of it, which with many had been the effect of it, and that was, the bringing of them to repent and reform their lives, than which there could not be a more pleasing and acceptable service done to God, which he shows in the parables, 1. Of the lost sheep that was brought home with joy (Luk 15:4-7). 2. Of the lost silver that was found with joy (Luk 15:8-10). 3. Of the lost son that had been a prodigal, but returned to his father's house, and was received with great joy, though his elder brother, like these scribes and Pharisees, was offended at it (v. 11-32).

Then drew near to him,.... To "Jesus", as the Persic and Ethiopic versions express it: this was on the sabbath day, and either when he was in the Pharisee's house, where he was invited to dinner, Luk 14:1 or rather when he came out of it, when the multitude, who could not come near him whilst there, took the opportunity of gathering about him; even all the publicans and sinners; whom the Pharisee would not admit into his house, it being contrary to their traditions to eat, and drink, and converse with persons of such an infamous character; See Gill on Mat 9:10, Mat 9:11 The word "all" is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions; but the Arabic version has it, and the Greek copies; and signifies that there were a very large number of them, even all that were in that place, and in the adjacent cities and towns, that got together for to hear him, or "from him", as the Arabic version; or "doctrine" from him, as the Persic version adds: these having heard much of him; and it may be, might be under some remorse of conscience on account of their vicious lives, came to hear him preach.

Now his elder son was in the field,.... By "the elder son" is meant, not angels, as has been observed on Luk 15:11 nor truly converted persons, of some standing in the church; for though these may be said to be elder than young converts, and are more solid and settled, yet they are not ignorant of spiritual mirth; nor of the Gospel sound; nor are they angry at the conversion of sinners; nor will they ever speak in such commendation of themselves; or say that they never had a kid, much less a fatted calf, as this elder brother does: nor the Jews in general, in distinction from the Gentiles, as has been remarked in the above place: the Scribes and Pharisees in particular are meant, in opposition to the publicans and sinners: now these are said to be "in the field"; in the world, which is comparable to an uncultivated field; being overrun with the briers and thorns of sin, and sinful men; where beasts of prey inhabit, and who are fitly signified by lions, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword; and out of which the garden of the church is taken and separated, and fenced by distinguishing grace: now this elder brother, the Scribe and Pharisee, notwithstanding all his sobriety and morality, was in a state of nature and unregeneracy, in the same condition he came into the world; and was under the influence of the god of the world; and was taken up with the things of the world, the honours, riches, and profits of it; and though he was in the Jewish church state, yet was in the field of the world; the ceremonies of that state, were the rudiments of the world; and the sanctuary in it, was a worldly sanctuary; and the chief men in it, were the princes of the world: and this elder son was in the field at work, working for life: to work is right, when men work from a principle of grace, in the name, faith, and strength of Christ, to the glory of God and religion, and their own and others good; and ascribe all they do to the grace of God, and acknowledge their own unworthiness; but to work, in order to obtain righteousness, life, and salvation, proceeds from wretched ignorance, and is an instance of the pride and vanity of human nature; and is not only a vain and fruitless attempt, but a piece of wickedness, it being a denial of Christ, as God's salvation: now while the younger son, the publicans and sinners, were received and entertained in the house and kingdom of God their Father, the elder son, the Scribe and Pharisee, were without in the field, labouring to obtain life by doing; and as he came and drew nigh to the house. The Ethiopic version reads, "to the border of the city": he "came" out of the field, the world; not that he was come out from the world, and had left the company of the men of it, or parted with the sins and lusts of it; but he came from his labour, having done his day's work, and the task of duty he had set himself; and was now going for his hire, for what he imagined he had merited: and drew nigh to the house; for he did not go in, Luk 15:28 he only made some advances to it, and took some steps towards entrance into it; namely, into a visible church; he came to hear the word, as the Scribes and Pharisees did; and to attend on ordinances, particularly at the administration of the ordinance of baptism, and seemed desirous of submitting to it in John's time; but never came to Christ in a spiritual way; nor entered into the kingdom of heaven, the Gospel dispensation; and did all that could be, to hinder others, especially publicans and sinners; he heard music and dancing. The Syriac; Persic, and Ethiopic versions, leave out "dancing": the former only reads, "the voice of the singing of many", and the next, "the voice of singing"; and the last, "pipes and songs"; by "music" is meant not the instrumental music used in the Old Testament church; nor vocal singing in the new; but the preaching of the Gospel by the ministers of it, the servants, in Luk 15:22 setting forth the love of God, the righteousness of Christ, peace, pardon, and salvation by him; in which, as in music, there is a distinction of sounds, the voice of Christ in the Gospel, and the several doctrines of it, are distinctly pronounced, discerned, and understood: and there is also, as in music, an harmony and agreement; the Gospel does not give an uncertain sound, nor contradict itself; it is not yea and nay: and, like music, it is delightful and charming; it is a sound of love in all the three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit; of free grace, and rich mercy; of liberty, reconciliation, forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life: and as music, has a powerful and attractive virtue in it; so the Gospel is mighty and efficacious in the hand of the Spirit of God to quicken even dead sinners, to draw them to Christ, to allure, charm, and comfort them: "dancing" may design those expressions of joy, which are delivered by young converts at hearing the Gospel, as by the three thousand, in Act 2:41 by the inhabitants of Samaria, Act 8:6 and by the jailor and his household, Act 16:34 and by many others: now all this the elder brother, the Scribes and Pharisees, "heard"; not so as to know the true meaning of it, as appears from the following verse; nor as to approve of it; or so as to feel the power, and enjoy the sweetness of it; nor as to practise what was heard; only externally hearing, they heard, but understood not, their eyes were blinded, and their hearts were hardened.

But the younger son, that is the Gentile people, is envied by Israel as the elder brother, the privilege of his father's blessing. Which the Jews did because Christ sat down to meat with the Gentiles, as it follows; And he was angry, and would not go in, &c.

(ubi sup.) The elder son is the people of Israel, not indeed gone into a distant country, yet not in the house, but in the field, that is, in the paternal wealth of the Law and the Prophets, choosing to work earthly things. But coming from the field he began to draw nigh to the house, that is, the labour of his servile works being condemned by the same Scriptures, he was looking upon the liberty of the Church. Whence it follows; And as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing; that is, men filled with the Holy Spirit, with harmonious voices preaching the Gospel. It follows, And he called one of the servants, &c. that is, he takes one of the prophets to read, and as he searches in it, asks in a manner, why are those feasts celebrated in the Church at which he finds himself present? His Father's servant, the prophet, answers him. For it follows; And he said unto him, Thy brother is come, &c. As if he should say, Thy brother was in the farthest parts of the earth, but hence the greater rejoicing of those who sing a new song, because His praise is from the end of the earth; (Is. 42:10.) and for his sake who was afar off, was slain the Man who knows how to bear our infirmities, for they who have not been told of Him have seen Him. (See Isa. 53:4; 52:15.)

For we also sometimes experience something of this sort. For some there are who live a perfectly honourable and consistent life, practising every kind of virtuous action, and abstaining from every thing disapproved by the law of God, and crowning themselves with perfect praises in the sight of God and of men: while another is perhaps weak and trodden down, and humbled unto every kind of wickedness, guilty of base deeds, loving impurity, given to covetousness, and stained with all evil. And yet such a one often in old age turns unto God, and asks the forgiveness of his former offences: he prays for mercy, and putting away from him his readiness to fall into sin, sets his affection on virtuous deeds. Or even perhaps when about to close his mortal life, he is admitted to divine baptism, and puts away his offences, God being merciful unto him. And perhaps sometimes persons are indignant at this, and even say, 'This man, who has been guilty of such and such actions, and has spoken such and such words, has not paid unto the judge the retribution of his conduct, but has been counted worthy of a grace thus noble and admirable: he has been inscribed among the sons of God, and honoured with the glory of the saints.' Such complaints men sometimes give utterance too from an empty narrowness of mind, not conforming to the purpose of the universal Father. For He greatly rejoices when He sees those who were lost obtaining salvation, and raises them up again to that which they were in the beginning, giving them the dress of freedom, and adorning them with the chief robe, and putting a ring upon their hand, even the orderly behaviour which is pleasing to God and suitable to the free.

Which we also ourselves sometimes feel; for some live a most excellent and perfect life, another off time even in his old age is converted to God, or perhaps when just about to close his last day, through God's mercy washes away his guilt. But this mercy some men reject from restless timidity of mind, not counting upon the will of our Saviour, who rejoices in the salvation of those who are perishing.

If anyone says that the virtuous and sober son signifies Israel according to the flesh, we cannot agree to this opinion. In no way is it fitting to say that Israel chose a blameless life. Throughout the whole inspired Scripture, we see them accused of being rebels and disobedient.…I think it is right to mention this also. Some refer to the person of our Savior as that fatted calf that the father killed when his son was called to conversion.… If any one imagines that the virtuous and sober son means the physical Israel, how can Israel honestly say that he never gave him a kid? Whether we call it calf or kid, Christ is to be understood as the sacrifice offered for sin. He was not sacrificed only for the Gentiles but also that he might redeem Israel, who by reason of his frequent transgression of the law had brought great blame on himself. The wise Paul bears witness to this, saying, “For this reason Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people by his blood, suffered outside the gate.”

The elder son then as a husbandman was engaged in husbandry, digging not the land, but the field of the soul, and planting trees of salvation, that is to say, the virtues.

The older brother, the older son coming from the field, the people of the law, hears the music and dancing in the Father's house, yet he does not want to enter. "The harvest indeed is abundant, but the laborers are few." Every day we see this same thing happen with our own eyes. The Jewish people comes to its Father's house, the church. It stands outside because of its jealousy. It hears the harp of David echoing, and the music from the singing of the psalms, and the dancing carried on by so many assembled races. It does not wish to enter. Through jealousy, it remains outside. In horror, it judges its Gentile brother by its own ancient customs, and meanwhile, it is depriving itself of its Father's goods and excluding itself from his joys.

But his elder son was in the field. The elder son is the people of Israel who, although he did not go into the distant land, is said not to have stayed at home, but in the field, because the same people neither forsook the Creator to the point of worshipping idols, nor penetrated into the depths of the law they had received, but content with merely the letter of the law, they were accustomed both to work and hope for outward and earthly things, hearing through the prophet: "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land" (Isaiah 1).

While the Scribes and Pharisees were murmuring about His receiving sinners, our Saviour put three parables to them successively. In the two first He hints at the joy He has with the angels in the salvation of penitents. But in the third He not only declares His own joy and that of His angels, but He also blames the murmurings of those who were envious. For He says, Now his elder son was in the field.

And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. The son draws near to the house when those more considerate among the Israelites (for many such were found among them, and often are found) condemn the labor of servile works and from the same Scriptures consider the freedom of the Church. He hears music and dancing, that is, those filled with the Spirit preaching the Gospel with harmonious voices, to whom it was said: "I beseech you, brethren, that you all speak the same thing" (1 Cor. 1), and of those living in harmony, being of one soul and heart in the praises of God.

Or to take the whole differently; the character of the son who seems to complain is put for all those who are offended at the sudden advances and salvation of the perfect, as David introduces one who took offence at the peace of sinners. Or he was in the field, that is, in the world, pampering his own flesh, that he might be filled with bread, and sowing in tears that he might reap in joy, but when he found what was being done, he was unwilling to enter into the common joy. Or by this parable our Lord reproves the will of the Pharisees, whom according to the argument he terms just, as if to say, Let it be that you are truly just, having transgressed none of the commandments, must we then for this reason refuse to admit those who turn away from their iniquities? The son then says to the father, For nothing I left a life of sorrow, ever harassed by sinners who were my enemies, and never hast thou for my sake ordered a kid to be slain, (that is, a sinner who persecuted me,) that I might enjoy myself for a little. Such a kid was Ahab to Elijah, who said, Lord, they have killed thy prophets. (1 Kings 19:14.)

Here they raise the well-known question: how is it that the son who in all other respects lived and served his father in a pleasing manner turns out to be envious? But the question will be resolved as soon as one considers why this parable was told. This parable, together with the preceding ones, was told, without doubt, because the Pharisees, who considered themselves pure and righteous, murmured against the Lord for receiving harlots and tax collectors. And if it was told because the Pharisees murmured — they who appeared to be more righteous than the tax collectors — then observe that the figure of the son who appears to murmur applies to all who are scandalized by the sudden good fortune and salvation of sinners. And this is not envy, but rather the outpouring of God's love for mankind, which is incomprehensible to us, and therefore gives rise to murmuring. Does not David also present people who are scandalized by the peace of sinners (Ps. 73:3)? Likewise Jeremiah, when he says: "Why does the way of the wicked prosper?" "You have planted them, and they have taken root" (Jer. 12:1–2). All this is characteristic of the weak and poor human mind, which is troubled and perplexed at the sight of unworthiness — namely, the prosperity of wicked people. Therefore the Lord, through the present parable, speaks as it were thus to the Pharisees: granted that you, like this son, are righteous and pleasing before the Father; but I ask you, righteous and pure as you are, not to murmur that we prepare a feast for the salvation of a sinner, for he too is a son. Thus what is revealed here is not envy, but by this parable the Lord instructs the Pharisees not to be vexed at the reception of sinners, even if they themselves are righteous and keep every commandment of God. And it is not at all surprising if we are grieved at the reception of those who seem unworthy. The love of God for mankind is so great and so abundantly bestows its blessings upon us that even murmuring can arise from it. So too we speak in ordinary conversation. Often, having done someone a kindness and then receiving no gratitude from him, we say: everyone reproaches me for having bestowed so many benefits upon you. Although perhaps no one has reproached us at all, wishing to show the greatness of the kindness, we invent this. Let us examine this parable part by part and, as it were, in a brief summary. "The elder son was in the field," that is, in this world, tilling his land, that is, the flesh, so that it might abound in bread, and sowing with tears so as to reap with joy (Ps. 125:5). Having learned of what had happened, he did not want to enter into the common joy. But the compassionate Father comes out, calls him, and informs him that the cause of the celebration is the revival of one who was dead — something the son did not know, being a man who takes offense and accuses the Father for not having given him "even a young goat," while for the profligate He slaughtered the fattened calf. What is signified by the "young goat"? You can learn from the fact that every goat is assigned to the left side, the side of sinners (Matt. 25:33, 41). So the virtuous son says to the Father: I spent my life in every kind of toil, endured persecutions, troubles, and insults from sinners, and You never slaughtered or killed a young goat for me — that is, a sinner who offended me — so that I might find a little pleasure. For example, Ahab was a goat in relation to Elijah. He persecuted the prophet, but the Lord did not immediately deliver this goat to slaughter so as to bring some small joy to Elijah and give rest to him along with his friends the prophets. Therefore Elijah says to God: "They have torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets" (1 Kings 19:14). In relation to David, the goat was Saul and all who slandered him, whom the Lord allowed to tempt him but did not kill for David's pleasure. Therefore David says: "How long, O Lord, shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?" (Ps. 94:3). So also this son presented in the Gospel says: the one who labors constantly, him You did not deem worthy of any consolation, nor did You even deliver to slaughter any of those who offended me, yet now, without any effort, You save the profligate! Thus the entire purpose of this parable, told on account of the Pharisees' grumbling against the Lord for His reception of sinners, is to teach us not to reject sinners and not to grumble when God receives them, even if we ourselves are righteous. The younger son represents the harlots and tax collectors; the elder son represents the Pharisees and scribes, who are supposedly regarded as righteous. God says, as it were: granted that you are indeed righteous and have transgressed no commandment, but surely those who turn from evil ought to be received? It is murmurers such as these that the Lord instructs through the present parable. It is not unknown to me that some understood the elder son as referring to Angels, and the younger to human nature, which rebelled and did not submit to the given commandment. Others understood the elder as the Israelites, and the younger as the Gentiles. But what we have just said is true, namely: that the elder son represents the person of the righteous, and the younger that of sinners and the repentant, and the entire construction of the parable was composed on account of the Pharisees, whom the Lord impresses upon that they, even if they themselves were righteous, should not be grieved by the acceptance of sinners. Therefore, let no one take offense at the judgments of God, but let him be patient even in the case when sinners, it would seem, are made prosperous and are saved. For how do you know? Perhaps the one whom you consider a sinner has offered repentance, and for that reason has been accepted. And it may also be that he has secret virtues, and on account of them is favorable in the eyes of God.

Publicans and sinners draw near to hear our Lord, at which the Pharisees are offended, Luk 15:1, Luk 15:2. Christ vindicates his conduct in receiving them by the parable of the lost sheep, Luk 15:3-7. The parable of the lost piece of money, Luk 15:8-10; and the affecting parable of the prodigal son, vv. 11-32.

His elder son - Meaning probably persons of a regular moral life, who needed no repentance in comparison of the prodigal already described. In the field - Attending the concerns of the farm. He heard music - Συμφωνιας, a number of sounds mingled together, as in a concert. Dancing - Χορων. But Le Clerc denies that the word means dancing at all, as it properly means a choir of singers. The symphony mentioned before may mean the musical instruments which accompanied the choirs of singers.

PUBLICANS AND SINNERS WELCOMED BY CHRIST--THREE PARABLES TO EXPLAIN THIS. (Luke 15:1-32) drew near . . . all the publicans and sinners, &c.--drawn around Him by the extraordinary adaptation of His teaching to their case, who, till He appeared--at least His forerunner--might well say, "No man careth for my soul."

in the field--engaged in his father's business: compare Luk 15:29, "These many years do I serve thee."