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Luke 15:18
Verse
Context
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
17Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death!18I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
Sermons
Derek Melton
Don Courville
John Follette
Chuck Smith
Thomas Brooks
D.L. Moody
C.H. SpurgeonSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Against heaven - Εις τον ουρανον; that is, against God. The Jews often make use of this periphrasis in order to avoid mentioning the name of God, which they have ever treated with the utmost reverence. But some contend that it should be translated, even unto heaven; a Hebraism for, I have sinned exceedingly - beyond all description.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
I will arise and go to my FATHER--The change has come at last, and what a change!--couched in terms of such exquisite simplicity and power as if expressly framed for all heart-broken penitents. Father, &c.--Mark the term. Though "no more worthy to be called his son," the prodigal sinner is taught to claim the defiled, but still existing relationship, asking not to be made a servant, but remaining a son to be made "as a servant," willing to take the lowest place and do the meanest work. Ah! and is it come to this? Once it was, "Any place rather than home." Now, "Oh, that home! Could I but dare to hope that the door of it would not be closed against me, how gladly would I take any place and do any worK, happy only to be there at all." Well, that is conversion--nothing absolutely new, yet all new; old familiar things seen in a new light and for the first time as realities of overwhelming magnitude and power. How this is brought about the parable says not. (We have that abundantly elsewhere, Phi 2:13, &c.). Its one object is to paint the welcome home of the greatest sinners, when (no matter for the present how) they "arise and go to their Father."
John Gill Bible Commentary
I will arise,.... This is the resolution which at last, through divine grace, he came into: he determines to quit the country, and his companions; he had left his harlots, and his old course of living before, but was in the same country still; for this a man may do, and yet remain unregenerate: but he is now for leaving the country itself, and his new acquaintance; he is now determined to drop his legal preacher, to be gone out of his fields, and from under his ministry, and to leave his swine and husks; and go to my father: not to his old companions in debauchery and sin; nor to his elder brother, the Pharisees; he had made trial of both these to his cost already; nor to his father's servants, but to his father himself; to which he was moved and encouraged, from his being ready to perish, from the fulness of bread in his father's house and from the relation he stood in to him; notwithstanding, all that had passed, he was his father, and a kind and merciful one: this shows, that he knew him as his father, having now the Spirit of adoption sent down into him; and the way unto him, which lies through Christ the mediator: and will say unto him, father; or, "my father", as the Syriac and Persic versions read: I have sinned against heaven; by preferring earthly things to heavenly ones; and have sinned openly in the face of the heavens, who were witnesses against him; and against God, who dwells in heaven. It was usual with the Jews to call God, "heaven"; See Gill on Mat 21:25. They have this very phrase; "there is a man, (say (b) they), who sins against earth, and he does not , "sin against heaven"; against heaven, and he does not sin against earth: but he that speaks with an ill tongue sins against heaven and earth, as it is said, Psa 73:9 "they set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth."'' And so the sense is, that he had sinned against God himself, and not merely against men, and human laws. All sin is a transgression of the law of God; and the thought of sin being committed against a God of infinite holiness, justice, goodness, grace, and mercy, is cutting to a sensible sinner: and this being the case, this man determined to go to God his Father, and him only, for the pardon of his sin, against whom it was committed. It is added, and before thee; for he was now convinced of his omniscience. Sin may be committed against a man, and not before him, or he not know it; but whatever is committed against God, is before him, it is in his sight, he knows it: he is God omniscient, though sinners take no notice of this perfection of his, but go on in sin, as if it was not seen, known, and observed by God. But when God works powerfully and effectually upon the heart of a sinner, he convinces him of his omniscience, as this man was convinced: hence he determined to go to God, and acknowledge his sin before him; and that it was committed before him, and was in his sight; and that he could not be justified in his sight by any righteousness of his own; and therefore humbly desires pardon at his hands. This man's sense of sin and sorrow for it, and confession of it, appear very right and genuine, which he determined to express; they appear to be the convictions of the Spirit of God: it was not a sense of sin, and sorrow for it, as done before men, but God; and the concern was not so much for the mischief that comes by sin, as for the evil that was in it; and this did not drive him to despair, as in the cases of Cain and Judas, but brought him home to his father; and his confession appears to be hearty, sincere, and without excuse. (b) Midrash Kohclet, in c. 9. 12. fol. 79. 4.
Luke 15:18
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
17Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death!18I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Does Doctrine Matter - Part 9
By Derek Melton1.1K55:40Doctrine2SA 12:13NEH 1:6JOB 42:5MIC 7:9LUK 15:18ROM 6:161TI 4:16In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the importance of the doctrine of repentance in the Christian faith. He emphasizes that repentance is not a one-time event, but rather a lifestyle for believers. The preacher highlights that repentance is the first word of the gospel and the last words of warning from Jesus. He also acknowledges that the doctrine of repentance is rarely taught upon, but it is a crucial aspect of regeneration and necessary for believers to live a righteous life.
On Eagles' Wings Pt 20
By Don Courville77426:32Radio ShowLUK 15:18In this sermon, the pastor emphasizes the importance of having a clear conscience before God and men. He encourages the audience to consider the consequences of not being right with God and others, and suggests asking for forgiveness from those we have offended. The pastor then discusses the parable of the prodigal son, highlighting the lessons on repentance and the father's forgiveness. He concludes by urging the listeners to examine their own lives and seek cleansing from God, so that the unbelievers around them may be inspired to turn to Christ.
Arise, Let Us Go Hence
By John Follette3931:16:34Christian LifeGEN 22:3EXO 25:1MRK 10:17LUK 15:18JHN 16:16JHN 16:28In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the social element present in the concept of God. He highlights the idea of unity and cooperation in the creation of man, emphasizing that it has always been and will always be a fundamental aspect of humanity. The preacher expresses a desire to develop this concept further but acknowledges that it would take too long. He also discusses the importance of consent and the invitation to grow in the thought of God, emphasizing that God provides all the necessary provisions for spiritual growth.
Exodus 9:27
By Chuck Smith0RepentanceConfessionEXO 9:27NUM 22:34JOS 7:201SA 15:24JOB 7:20PSA 51:1MAT 27:4LUK 15:181JN 1:9Chuck Smith discusses the theme of confession of sin, illustrating various types of confessions from the Bible, including the terror-driven confession of Pharaoh, the insincere confession of Saul, and the double-mindedness of Balaam. He emphasizes the difference between genuine repentance and mere acknowledgment of wrongdoing, highlighting the dangers of superficial confessions that lack true transformation. The sermon culminates in the blessed confession of the Prodigal Son, showcasing the hope and restoration that comes from sincere repentance.
To Sin and Not to Blush!
By Thomas Brooks0RepentanceSin and ShamePSA 51:3PRO 28:13ISA 30:3JER 3:25EZK 16:63LUK 15:18ROM 6:212CO 7:101JN 1:9REV 21:8Thomas Brooks emphasizes the deep connection between sin and shame, asserting that true shame arises from the recognition of one's sins and the need for atonement. He reflects on Ezekiel 16:63, illustrating that when God's anger is pacified and sins are pardoned, the penitent soul experiences profound shame for past actions. Brooks warns that a person who has lost all sense of shame is in a perilous state, ripe for destruction and under the influence of evil. He contrasts the shame that accompanies sin with the false bravado of those who, like Caligula, take pride in their lack of shame. Ultimately, Brooks calls for a recognition of sin's shamefulness as essential for spiritual health and redemption.
Sammy and His Mother
By D.L. Moody0Surrendering to GodForgivenessMAT 11:28LUK 15:18JHN 1:12ACT 16:31ROM 10:9D.L. Moody shares a touching story about a little boy named Sammy who struggles to ask his mother for forgiveness, illustrating the difficulty of surrendering one's will. Despite his father's coaxing, Sammy insists he 'can't' ask for forgiveness, reflecting the internal struggle many face when it comes to submitting to God. Ultimately, after much tension, Sammy finally asks for forgiveness, demonstrating that while it may seem hard to come to God, it is actually the most reasonable and liberating choice one can make. Moody emphasizes that the hardest part of becoming a Christian is the unwillingness to let go of one's own will, urging listeners to come to God without delay. The sermon concludes with a call to believe in Jesus for salvation.
Confession of Sin
By C.H. Spurgeon0RepentanceConfessionEXO 9:27NUM 22:34JOS 7:201SA 15:24JOB 7:20MAT 27:4LUK 15:18C.H. Spurgeon delivers a powerful sermon on the 'Confession of Sin,' emphasizing its necessity for salvation and the different types of confessions found in Scripture. He illustrates the concept through various biblical characters, such as Pharaoh, Balaam, Saul, Achan, and Judas, highlighting the insincerity and double-mindedness that often accompany false confessions. Spurgeon contrasts these with the genuine repentance of Job and the Prodigal Son, who truly acknowledge their sins and seek forgiveness. He warns against the dangers of superficial confessions made in times of fear or despair, urging listeners to pursue a heartfelt and sincere acknowledgment of their sins to experience God's mercy.
Manna
By J. Wilbur Chapman0EXO 16:4JOS 13:1LUK 15:18JHN 10:10GAL 5:16In this sermon by J. Wilbur Chapman, he draws parallels between the journey of the children of Israel in the wilderness and the Christian's spiritual journey. Just like the Israelites received manna from heaven as sustenance, Christians are provided with spiritual food through God's Word and the Lord's Supper. Despite partaking in these blessings, many Christians still feel a sense of lack and unrest, struggling with sin and inconsistency. Chapman emphasizes the need for Christians to fully surrender to God, seek His Spirit, and claim their birthright as children of God to possess the abundant life He has promised.
Philippians 3:7-10
By St. John Chrysostom0LUK 15:18ROM 3:20ROM 6:41CO 9:271CO 10:12PHP 3:7PHP 3:12John Chrysostom emphasizes the importance of counting all earthly gains as loss compared to the knowledge of Christ Jesus, highlighting the need to prioritize gaining Christ above all else, even if it means suffering the loss of worldly things. He addresses the heretics who misinterpret Paul's words about the Law, explaining that the Law was a necessary stepping stone to lead humanity to Christ, but true righteousness comes through faith in Christ, not through adherence to the Law. Chrysostom encourages believers to press on in their faith journey, striving to attain the resurrection from the dead through enduring trials and conforming to the likeness of Christ, ultimately emphasizing the need for unwavering faith, perseverance, and a deep understanding of the power of Christ's resurrection.
The Father’s Kiss
By David Wilkerson0RepentanceAcceptancePSA 103:12ISA 43:25LUK 15:18LUK 15:20JHN 1:12ROM 8:12CO 5:17GAL 2:20EPH 1:61JN 1:9David Wilkerson emphasizes the profound blessing of acceptance that believers have in Christ, highlighting that we are highly favored by God, not merely seen as adequate. He illustrates this acceptance through the parable of the Prodigal Son, who, despite his failures, was welcomed back by his father with love and compassion. Wilkerson encourages believers to see themselves through God's eyes, focusing on the victory of Christ rather than their shortcomings. The message underscores the importance of repentance and the access we have to God through Christ, culminating in the beautiful image of the father's kiss as a symbol of unconditional acceptance.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Against heaven - Εις τον ουρανον; that is, against God. The Jews often make use of this periphrasis in order to avoid mentioning the name of God, which they have ever treated with the utmost reverence. But some contend that it should be translated, even unto heaven; a Hebraism for, I have sinned exceedingly - beyond all description.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
I will arise and go to my FATHER--The change has come at last, and what a change!--couched in terms of such exquisite simplicity and power as if expressly framed for all heart-broken penitents. Father, &c.--Mark the term. Though "no more worthy to be called his son," the prodigal sinner is taught to claim the defiled, but still existing relationship, asking not to be made a servant, but remaining a son to be made "as a servant," willing to take the lowest place and do the meanest work. Ah! and is it come to this? Once it was, "Any place rather than home." Now, "Oh, that home! Could I but dare to hope that the door of it would not be closed against me, how gladly would I take any place and do any worK, happy only to be there at all." Well, that is conversion--nothing absolutely new, yet all new; old familiar things seen in a new light and for the first time as realities of overwhelming magnitude and power. How this is brought about the parable says not. (We have that abundantly elsewhere, Phi 2:13, &c.). Its one object is to paint the welcome home of the greatest sinners, when (no matter for the present how) they "arise and go to their Father."
John Gill Bible Commentary
I will arise,.... This is the resolution which at last, through divine grace, he came into: he determines to quit the country, and his companions; he had left his harlots, and his old course of living before, but was in the same country still; for this a man may do, and yet remain unregenerate: but he is now for leaving the country itself, and his new acquaintance; he is now determined to drop his legal preacher, to be gone out of his fields, and from under his ministry, and to leave his swine and husks; and go to my father: not to his old companions in debauchery and sin; nor to his elder brother, the Pharisees; he had made trial of both these to his cost already; nor to his father's servants, but to his father himself; to which he was moved and encouraged, from his being ready to perish, from the fulness of bread in his father's house and from the relation he stood in to him; notwithstanding, all that had passed, he was his father, and a kind and merciful one: this shows, that he knew him as his father, having now the Spirit of adoption sent down into him; and the way unto him, which lies through Christ the mediator: and will say unto him, father; or, "my father", as the Syriac and Persic versions read: I have sinned against heaven; by preferring earthly things to heavenly ones; and have sinned openly in the face of the heavens, who were witnesses against him; and against God, who dwells in heaven. It was usual with the Jews to call God, "heaven"; See Gill on Mat 21:25. They have this very phrase; "there is a man, (say (b) they), who sins against earth, and he does not , "sin against heaven"; against heaven, and he does not sin against earth: but he that speaks with an ill tongue sins against heaven and earth, as it is said, Psa 73:9 "they set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth."'' And so the sense is, that he had sinned against God himself, and not merely against men, and human laws. All sin is a transgression of the law of God; and the thought of sin being committed against a God of infinite holiness, justice, goodness, grace, and mercy, is cutting to a sensible sinner: and this being the case, this man determined to go to God his Father, and him only, for the pardon of his sin, against whom it was committed. It is added, and before thee; for he was now convinced of his omniscience. Sin may be committed against a man, and not before him, or he not know it; but whatever is committed against God, is before him, it is in his sight, he knows it: he is God omniscient, though sinners take no notice of this perfection of his, but go on in sin, as if it was not seen, known, and observed by God. But when God works powerfully and effectually upon the heart of a sinner, he convinces him of his omniscience, as this man was convinced: hence he determined to go to God, and acknowledge his sin before him; and that it was committed before him, and was in his sight; and that he could not be justified in his sight by any righteousness of his own; and therefore humbly desires pardon at his hands. This man's sense of sin and sorrow for it, and confession of it, appear very right and genuine, which he determined to express; they appear to be the convictions of the Spirit of God: it was not a sense of sin, and sorrow for it, as done before men, but God; and the concern was not so much for the mischief that comes by sin, as for the evil that was in it; and this did not drive him to despair, as in the cases of Cain and Judas, but brought him home to his father; and his confession appears to be hearty, sincere, and without excuse. (b) Midrash Kohclet, in c. 9. 12. fol. 79. 4.