Why rejoice over someone who was lost?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The comparisons link finding the lost with joy over repentance, and end with a father defending celebration to an angry elder son.

Chapter breakdown

# Luke 15 Publicans and sinners draw near to hear Jesus; the Pharisees and scribes murmur that he receives sinners and eats with them. His comparisons describe finding what was lost and rejoicing over repentance.

A man with a hundred sheep loses one, leaves the ninety-nine in the desert, and seeks until he finds it. He carries it joyfully on his shoulders and calls his friends and neighbours to rejoice. Jesus compares this with greater joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance than over ninety-nine just people needing no penance. A woman with ten groats loses one, lights a candle, sweeps the house and searches diligently until she finds it; she too calls others to rejoice. Jesus speaks of joy before the angels of God over one sinner doing penance. The accompanying annotation interprets this as heavenly spirits' concern for repentance and knowledge of it; it is distinct from the narrated comparisons.

A father has two sons. The younger asks for his portion, and the father divides his substance unto them. Not many days later the younger gathers everything and travels to a far country, where he wastes his substance in riotous living. After he has spent it all, a famine leaves him in want. A citizen sends him to feed swine; he longs for the husks they eat, and nobody gives him anything.

Returning to himself, he remembers that his father's hired servants have bread while he perishes with hunger. He plans to return, confess that he has sinned against heaven and before his father, declare himself unworthy to be called a son and ask to become a hired servant. He rises and returns. While he is still far away, his father sees him, has compassion, runs to him, embraces his neck and kisses him. The son's actual confession includes his sin and unworthiness; the text does not report the planned request to become a hired servant or an interruption of it. The father orders the first robe, a ring for his hand, shoes for his feet and the killing of the fatted calf. They begin to make merry because the son was dead and has come to life, was lost and is found.

The elder son returns from the field, hears music and dancing, and learns from a servant that his brother has returned safely and the calf has been killed. Angry, he refuses to enter; his father comes out and entreats him. The elder claims years of service without transgressing a command and complains that he never received a kid for his friends. His accusation that his brother consumed the substance with harlots belongs to his speech; the earlier narration says riotous living. The father replies that the elder is always with him and that all he has is his, but that rejoicing was fitting for the brother who was dead and has come to life, was lost and is found. The elder son's final response is not narrated.

The story inside

A lost sheep and groat introduce the younger son’s return and the elder son’s refusal to join the celebration.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The search comparisons culminate in joy over one sinner doing penance.
2
The younger son’s intended hired-servant request is absent from his recorded confession.
3
The elder’s accusations are reported speech, and his final response remains unknown.

Test your recall

Lost sheep and groat; hungry son returns; father celebrates; elder refuses; father entreats.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 119064–119089
Luke Chapter 15 The parables of the lost sheep and of the prodigal son. 15:1. Now the publicans and sinners drew near unto him to hear him. 15:2. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying: This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. 15:3. And he spoke to them this parable, saying: 15:4. What man of you that hath an hundred sheep, and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after that which was lost, until he find it? 15:5. And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing? 15:6. And coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost? 15:7. I say to you that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance. 15:8. Or what woman having ten groats, if she lose one groat, doth not light a candle and sweep the house and seek diligently until she find
Lines 119091–119106
15:9. And when she hath found it, call together her friends and neighbours, saying: Rejoice with me, because I have found the groat which I had lost. 15:10. So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance. Before the angels.... By this it is plain that the spirits in heaven have a concern for us below, and a joy at our repentance and consequently a knowledge of it. 15:11. And he said: A certain man had two sons. 15:12. And the younger of them said to his father: Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his
Lines 119108–119145
15:13. And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country: and there wasted his substance, living riotously. 15:14. And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country: and he began to be in want. 15:15. And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. 15:16. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 15:17. And returning to himself, he said: How many hired servants in my father’s house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger! 15:18. I will arise and will go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. 15:19. I am not worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 15:20. And rising up, he came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed him. 15:21. And the son said to him: Father: I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am not now worthy to be called thy son. 15:22. And the father said to his servants: Bring forth quickly the first robe and put it on him: and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. 15:23. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it: and let us eat and make merry: 15:24. Because this my son was dead and is come to life again, was lost
Lines 119148–119172
15:25. Now his elder son was in the field and when he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. 15:26. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 15:27. And he said to him: Thy brother is come and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe. 15:28. And he was angry and would not go in. His father therefore coming out began to entreat him. 15:29. And he answering, said to his father: Behold, for so many years do I serve thee and I have never transgressed thy commandment: and yet thou hast never given me a kid to make merry with my friends. 15:30. But as soon as this thy son is come, who hath devoured his substance with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 15:31. But he said to him: Son, thou art always with me; and all I have is thine. 15:32. But it was fit that we should make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead and is come to life again; he was lost, and is found.