Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 15:24

"for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry." — Luke 15:24 (ASV)

The son’s speech was never completed (v.21). Instead the father more than reversed the unspoken part about becoming a “hired man” (v.19). What he gave his son signified more than sonship: the robe was a ceremonial one such as a guest of honor would be given, the ring signified authority, and the sandals were those only a free man would wear. The calf was apparently being “fattened” for some special occasion. Note the parallel between “dead” and “alive” and “lost” and “found”—terms that also apply to one’s state before and after conversion to Christ (Ephesians 2:1–5). As in the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, it was time to “celebrate.” 25–32 It may seem strange that the older son was not there when the celebration began, but Jesus’ parables are a fictional way of teaching enduring truth. Verse 28 contrasts sharply the older son with the father. The son became angry; but the father “went out,” as he had for the younger brother, and “pleaded” rather than scolded. The older son’s abrupt beginning—“Look!” (v.29)—betrays a disrespectful attitude toward his father. Likewise, “slaving” is hardly descriptive of a warm attitude to his father. “You never gave me,” whether true or not, shows a long smoldering discontent. By saying “this son of yours,” the elder brother avoids acknowledging that the prodigal is his own brother, a disclaimer the father corrects by the words “this brother of yours” (v.32). The older brother’s charges include sharp criticism of both father and brother.

The father’s response is nevertheless tender: “My son” is followed by words of affirmation, not weakness (v.31). “We had to celebrate” suggests that the elder brother should have joined in the celebration. The words “had to” introduce once more the necessity and urgency so prominent in Luke .