Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Luke
Book: Luke
Chapter: 15
Overview:
Parables of the lost
Sheep, and the piece of
Silver.
(1-10)
The prodigal son, his wickedness and distress.
(11-16) His
Repentance and
Pardon.
(17-24) The
Elder Brother offended.
(25-32)
1-10 The
Parable of the lost
Sheep is very applicable to the
great work of
Man's
Redemption. The lost
Sheep represents the
sinner as departed from
God, and exposed to certain ruin if not
brought back to him, yet not desirous to return.
Christ is
Earnest in bringing sinners home. In the
Parable of the lost
piece of
Silver, that which is lost, is one piece, of small
value compared with the
Rest. Yet the
Woman seeks diligently
till she finds it. This represents the various means and methods
God makes use of to bring lost souls home to himself, and the
Saviour's joy
On their return to him. How careful then should we
be that our
Repentance is unto
Salvation!
11-16 The
Parable of the prodigal son shows the nature of
Repentance, and the
Lord's readiness to welcome and
Bless all
who return to him. It fully sets forth the riches of
Gospel
Grace; and it has been, and will be, while the world stands, of
unspeakable use to
Poor sinners, to direct and to encourage them
in repenting and returning to
God. It is bad, and the beginning
of worse, when men look upon
God's
Gifts as debts due to them.
The great folly of sinners, and that which ruins them, is, being
content in their
Life-time to receive their good things. Our
first parents ruined themselves and all their race,
By a foolish
ambition to be independent, and this is at the bottom of
sinners' persisting in their
Sin. We may all discern some
features of our own characters in that of the prodigal son. A
sinful state is of departure and distance from
God. A sinful
state is a spending state: wilful sinners misemploy their
thoughts and the powers of their souls, misspend their time and
all their opportunities. A sinful state is a wanting state.
Sinners want necessaries for their souls; they have neither
Food
nor raiment for them, nor any provision for hereafter. A sinful
state is a vile, slavish state. The business of the
Devil's
servants is to make provision for the
Flesh, to fulfil the lusts
thereof, and that is
No better than feeding
Swine. A sinful
state is a state of constant discontent. The wealth of the world
and the pleasures of the senses will not even satisfy our
bodies; but what are they to precious souls! A sinful state is a
state which cannot look for relief from any
Creature. In vain do
we cry to the world and to the
Flesh; they have that which will
Poison a soul, but have nothing to give which will feed and
nourish it. A sinful state is a state of
Death. A sinner is dead
in trespasses and sins, destitute of spiritual
Life. A sinful
state is a lost state. Souls that are separated from
God, if his
Mercy prevent not, will soon be lost for ever. The prodigal's
wretched state, only faintly shadows forth the awful ruin of
Man
By Sin. Yet how few are sensible of their own state and
character!
17-24 Having viewed the prodigal in his abject state of misery,
we are next to consider his recovery from it. This begins
By his
coming to himself. That is a turning point in the sinner's
Conversion. The
Lord opens his eyes, and convinces him of
Sin;
then he views himself and every object, in a different
Light
from what he did before. Thus the convinced sinner perceives
that the meanest servant of
God is happier than he is. To look
unto
God as a
Father, and our
Father, will be of great use in
our
Repentance and return to him. The prodigal arose, nor
stopped till he reached his home. Thus the repenting sinner
resolutely quits the
Bondage of
Satan and his lusts, and returns
to
God By Prayer, notwithstanding fears and discouragements. The
Lord meets him with unexpected tokens of his forgiving
Love.
Again; the reception of the humbled sinner is like that of the
prodigal. He is clothed in the robe of the
Redeemer's
Righteousness, made partaker of the
Spirit of
Adoption, prepared
By peace of
Conscience and
Gospel Grace to walk in the ways of
Holiness, and feasted with Divine consolations. Principles of
Grace and
Holiness are wrought in him, to do, as
Well as to
will.
25-32 In the latter part of this
Parable we have the character
of the
Pharisees, though not of them alone. It sets forth the
kindness of the
Lord, and the proud manner in which his gracious
kindness is often received. The Jews, in general, showed the
same
Spirit towards the converted
Gentiles; and
Numbers in every
Age object to the
Gospel and its preachers,
On the same ground.
What must that temper be, which stirs up a
Man to despise and
abhor those for whom the
Saviour shed his precious
Blood, who
are objects of the
Father's choice, and temples of the Holy
Ghost! This springs from pride, self-preference, and ignorance
of a
Man's own
Heart. The
Mercy and
Grace of our
God in
Christ,
shine almost as bright in his tender and gentle bearing with
peevish saints, as his receiving prodigal sinners upon their
Repentance. It is the unspeakable happiness of all the children
of
God, who keep close to their
Father's
House, that they are,
and shall be ever with him. Happy will it be for those who
thankfully accept
Christ's invitation.