Luukkaan evankeliumiLuku 15

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Show the parablesSheep, coin and son

Jesus tells three parables in response to criticism from the Pharisees: "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." All are about the joy of finding what was lost.

The Lost Sheep

A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one that is lost. When he finds it, he carries it home with joy and celebrates with friends. In the same way, there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.

v.4, 5, 6, 7

The Lost Coin

A woman has ten silver coins and loses one. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house and searches until she finds it. In the same way, there is joy among God's angels over one sinner who repents.

v.8, 9, 10

The Lost Son

The younger son takes his inheritance and squanders it. He ends up feeding pigs, but returns home. The father runs to meet him, embraces him and throws a feast. The older brother becomes angry, but the father says: "We had to celebrate, because this brother of yours was dead and is now alive."

v.11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32

Rinnakkaistekstit1 rinnakkaiskohtaa tässä luvussa

The Parable of the Lost SheepML

In Luke, this is part of the trilogy about what was lost (sheep, coin, son).

Matteuksen evankeliumiMatt 18:10-14

10See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

11For the Son of Man came to save what was lost.

12What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, won't he leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go looking for the one that strayed?

13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never strayed.

14In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

Luukkaan evankeliumi(du leser)

1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.

2And the Pharisees and the scribes kept grumbling, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

3So he told them this parable:

4"Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost one until he finds it?

5And when he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing,

6and when he comes home he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.'

7I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.

And the Pharisees and the scribes kept grumbling, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

So he told them this parable:

"Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost one until he finds it?

And when he finds it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing,

and when he comes home he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.'

I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

"Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?

And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin I lost.'

In the same way, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Then he said: "There was a man who had two sons.

The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that is coming to me.' So he divided his property between them.

Not many days later the younger son gathered everything together and left for a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth in reckless living.

When he had spent it all, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

He longed to fill his stomach with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Then he came to himself and said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have more than enough bread, while I am dying here of hunger!

I will get up and go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired hands.'

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. He ran to him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.

The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

But the father said to his servants, 'Quick, bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Bring the fattened calf and slaughter it. Let us eat and celebrate,

for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile his older son was out in the field. As he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.

So he called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.

He told him, 'Your brother has come home, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.'

Then he became angry and refused to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.

But he answered his father, 'Look, all these years I have served you, and I have never disobeyed a command of yours; yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when this son of yours came home—the one who devoured your living with prostitutes—you slaughtered the fattened calf for him!'

The father said to him, 'My child, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive; he was lost and is found.'"

Historical and Cultural Context for Luke 15

People

The chapter identifies two groups in the parable: "τελῶναι" (tax collectors) and "ἁμαρτωλοί" (sinners) who approached Jesus, while "Φαρισαῖοι" (Pharisees) and "γραμματεῖς" (scribes) criticized him. The tax collectors were Jews who collected taxes for the Romans, and they were despised both as collaborators and because they often demanded more than was required. The term "sinners" included people who lived outside the law, either through immoral behavior or occupations considered unclean. The Pharisees' accusation that Jesus "welcomes sinners and eats with them" (v. 2) reflects how serious table fellowship was—sharing a meal implied acceptance and community.

Events and Customs

The son's demand for his inheritance while his father was still alive (v. 12) was extremely offensive in Jewish culture. According to Sirach 33:19–23, there is strong warning against giving away property before death. Such a request was culturally understood as wishing the father dead. The fact that the father nevertheless divides the estate ("διεῖλεν αὐτοῖς τὸν βίον") shows unusual generosity. The son's work of feeding pigs (v. 15) represents the absolute lowest point for a Jew, since pigs were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7). Tending them meant constant contact with ritual impurity and was among the most despised occupations.

The father's behavior upon his son's return breaks patriarchal honor conventions. For an older man to "run" (δραμών, v. 20) was considered undignified—respectable men walked with dignity. The robe, ring, and sandals (v. 22) are all symbols of restoration: the robe marks honor, the ring (likely a signet ring) grants authority over the household, and the sandals distinguish the son from a slave. The fattened calf that is slaughtered indicates a significant celebration, since meat was reserved for special occasions.

Key Terms

The word "δραχμή" (drachma) in the parable of the lost coin (vv. 8–9) was a Greek silver coin worth approximately one day's wage for a laborer. Ten drachmas could represent a woman's dowry or savings, which explains the intense searching. The expression "ἅπτει λύχνον" (lights a lamp) reflects that Palestinian houses were often dark with small windows, making a lamp necessary even during the day.

The expression "εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἐλθών" (v. 17), "when he came to himself," is an idiom denoting a turning point where a person realizes their true situation. "Κεράτια" (v. 16) refers to the pods of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua), an inexpensive food used as animal feed but also eaten by the poorest in times of crisis.

The older son's complaint mentions "ἔριφος" (a young goat, v. 29), a far less valuable animal than the fattened calf. This underscores his sense of injustice. The expression "μετὰ πορνῶν" (with prostitutes, v. 30) is the older son's assumption—it is not stated in the story that the younger son spent his money on this.

Luukkaan evankeliumiLuku 15

The Lost Sheep

The Lost Coin

The Lost Son

Luku 15

Historiallinen konteksti

Historical and Cultural Context for Luke 15

People

Events and Customs

Key Terms

The Lost Sheep

The Lost Coin

The Lost Son

Luukkaan evankeliumi

Vanha testamentti

Uusi testamentti

Apuvälineet