Luke 15:11

Had (eicen). Imperfect active. Note ecwn (verse Matthew 4 ), ecousa (verse Matthew 8 ), and now eicen. The self-sacrificing care is that of the owner in each case. Here (verses Matthew 11-32 ) we have the most famous of all the parables of Jesus, the Prodigal Son, which is in Luke alone. We have had the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and now the Lost Son. Bruce notes that in the moral sphere there must be self-recovery to give ethical value to the rescue of the son who wandered away. That comes out beautifully in this allegory.