Luke 15

15:17  But when he came to himself¹ he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger!

15:19  I am no more worthy to be called your son¹: make me as one of thy hired servants².

15:20  And he arose, and came to his father¹. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him², and was moved with compassion³, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him⁴.

15:21  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son¹.

15:22  But the father said to his servants¹, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand², and shoes on his feet³:

( 503,

15:23  and bring the fatted calf, [and] kill it, and let us eat, and make merry¹:

15:24  for this my son was dead¹, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

15:25  Now¹ his elder son was in the field²: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing³.

15:28  But he was angry, and would not go in¹: and his father came out, and entreated him².

15:29  But he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee¹, and I never transgressed a commandment of thine²; and [yet] thou never gavest me a kid³, that I might make merry with my friends⁴:

15:30  but when this thy son came¹, who hath devoured thy living with harlots², thou killedst for him the fatted calf.

15:31  And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me¹, and all that is mine is thine².

15:32  But it was meet to make merry and be glad¹: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive [again]; and [was] lost², and is found.

A comparison of the three preceding parables brings out manysuggestive points, thus: (1) The first parable ( Luke 15:3-7 ) illustratesChrist's compassion. A sentient, suffering creature is lost, and it wasbad for "it" that it should be so. Hence it must be sought, though itsvalue is only one out of a hundred. Man's lost condition makes himwretched. (2) The second parable ( Luke 15:8-10 ) shows us how Godvalues a soul. A lifeless piece of metal is lost, and while it couldnot be pitied, it could be valued, and since its value was one out ten,it was bad for the "owner" that it should be lost. God looks upon man'sloss as his impoverishment. (3) The first two parables depict theefforts of Christ in the salvation of man, or that side of conversionmore apparent, so to speak, to God; while the third ( Luke 15:11-32 ) setsforth the responsive efforts put forth by man to avail himself of God'ssalvation-- the side of conversion more apparent to us. Moreover, asthe parabolic figures become more nearly literal, as we pass from sheepand coin to son, the values also rise, and instead of one from ahundred, or one from ten, we have one out of two!