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Everywhere I look, I see the signs of summer ending and normal church, school, work schedules resuming. Friends, I hope you’re in a church family and looking forward to beginning or returning to an in-person Bible study if you can. It’s so important to surround ourselves with Christian community these days!

Last Week’s Work

MY PERSONAL TREASURE
I felt the Spirit directing my attention to the statement that the younger son was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found (v32). In addition to being repeated (v24), this is also the last statement of the story and the chapter, so I believe it had special significance to the original audience. And it also describes the situation that led to my salvation. Definitely a wow! moment for me!

WHO (CHARACTERS)

• He (v11), this is the man telling this story. I scanned the beginning of Chapter 15 and most of 14 before confirming this is Jesus (Luke 14:3). That search also revealed Pharisees and scribes were the original audience for this story (14:2). And I noticed this is the last of three similar stories Jesus told these men, one featuring a lost sheep (15:1-7), another a lost coin (15:8-10), and our study text, about a lost son (15:11-32). Wow! again!
• Next, the father of two sons (v11) is identified. He apparently owned enough property that each son would have an inheritance (v12). He also had both hired servants (v17) and bondservants (v22).
• The younger son is mentioned next. He demands his share of the property, leaves the country, and recklessly blows through all his assets. When a famine grips that land, he hires himself to a local pig farmer (vv12-15). In the son’s misery, he realizes he’d do better to go home and work for his dad (vv17-19), so he returns, humbly asking to work as a servant (vv20-21).
  The father, full of compassion, meets him on the way, and directs the servants to bring clothing and a ring (which I’m pretty sure indicates reunion with the family). The father also orders a celebratory feast (vv20, 22-23).
• Then, the older son comes home from work and discovers the party for his irresponsible brother. In his anger, he refuses to join (vv23-28). When his father comes out to him, he complains he never even got a goat, while his wasteful brother gets the fattened calf (vv28-30). The father reminds him he’s always had access to the calf and everything else, and the celebration is purely about a beloved son returning from being dead and being lost (vv31-32).

WHERE (LOCATIONS)

Though I noted several locations—a far country (v13), the father’s home (vv18, 20, 25), which became the setting for the celebration (v28), and the field (v25)—the one that stands out to me is where the son was when his father saw him and felt compassion. In v20, it says he was still a long way off. I think this detail hints that the father didn’t just happen to glance up and see his son. Instead, he was purposefully looking and hoping his son would return.

WHEN (TIMEFRAMES)

I also noticed several timeframes, but didn’t feel the Spirit calling out any of them specifically. They are:

• Not many days – how long after getting his inheritance the younger son left to squander it (v13).
• The famine in the far country happened when [the younger son] had spent all his inheritance (v14).
• The younger son headed for home when he came to himself (vv17-18). I suspect this means he regretted his prior, foolish decisions.
• The father wanted the servants to fetch the robe, ring, and shoes quickly (vv22-23).
• The older brother realized there was a party going on as he drew near the house (vv25-26), and boy, did the sparks fly!
• The eldest son complained he’d served his father many years (v29) without reward.
• The father said his older son was always with him (v31).

Dig-In Challenges

Here’s my study plan this week:

1. PRAY the prayer I wrote last week before I study.
2. MINE: Look for repeated words or phrases in this passage and check for synonyms or pronouns that might refer to emphasized concepts, too.
3. MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) in the passage.
4. MINE: Note any lists (3 or more similar items) mentioned in Luke 15:11-32.

Remember, you can download this printable summary of the DISO process for more specific instructions. I hope you’ll check in with me next week!

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