Luke 15 · The Lantern

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.

So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

(in Hom. 34. in Evang.) But, on the contrary, they who from false justice are wont to pride themselves, despise all others, and never in mercy condescend to the weak; and thinking themselves not to be sinners, are so much the worse sinners. Of such were the Pharisees, who condemning our Lord because He received sinners, with parched hearts reviled the very fountain of mercy.

For this was His wont, for the sake whereof He had taken upon Him the flesh, to receive sinners as the physician those that are sick. But the Pharisees, the really guilty, returned murmurs for this act of mercy, as it follows, And the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, &c.

Second, with regard to the expression of conceived impiety, he adds: And the Pharisees and scribes murmured. Murmuring is a speaking-against which is neither fully expressed nor fully kept silent: Wisdom 1: "The ear of jealousy hears all things, and the tumult of murmurings shall not be hidden.

Then Jesus told them this parable:

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?

All therefore speak falsely who disallow his (Adam's) salvation, shutting themselves out from life for ever, in that they do not believe that the sheep which had perished has been found. For if it has not been found, the whole human race is still held in a state of perdition.

(de Quæst. Ev. lib. 2. qu. 32.) Or He spoke of those ninety and nine whom He left in the wilderness, signifying the proud, who bear solitude as it were in their mind, in that they wish to appear themselves alone, to whom unity is wanting for perfection.

In explaining the solicitude of sorrow concerning the lost sheep, four things are introduced by the Evangelist, namely the possession of the whole multitude, the loss of the hundredth sheep, the leaving behind of the multitude possessed, and the seeking of the one lost.

And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders,

comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’

And coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." Having found the sheep, he returns home because our Shepherd, having restored man, returned to the heavenly kingdom.

And coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Having found the sheep, he returned home, because our Shepherd returned to the heavenly kingdom after restoring man. There he found friends and neighbors, namely those choirs of angels.

Secondly, with regard to the public rejoicing, he adds: And coming home, he calls together his friends and neighbors. This house is the heavenly Jerusalem, of which Isaiah 60: "I will glorify the house of my majesty"; and John 14: "In my Father's house there are many mansions." Into this house Christ came at the ascension, concerning which coming Isaiah 63: "Who is this who com…

I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.

Again, the Lord clearly shows sins and transgressions to be in our own power, by prescribing modes of cure corresponding to the maladies; showing His wish that we should be corrected by the shepherds, in Ezekiel; blaming, I am of opinion, some of them for not keeping the commandments.

the angels being lost in wonder were taught by their own eyes through man the glory and the power and the greatness and the wisdom and the goodness of the one and only God, and that all the elements and what had been brought into existence after themselves had been prepared before on account of man.

Thirdly, with regard to the conclusion principally intended, he adds: I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance; Isaiah 49: "Praise, O heavens, and exult, O earth; shout forth praise, O mountains, because the Lord has consoled his people and will have mercy on his poor ones." Great is the joy, because it is a greater thing to heal the…

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

The woman, again, who sweeps the house and finds the piece of money, they declare to denote the Sophia above, who, having lost her enthymesis, afterwards recovered it, on all things being purified by the advent of the Saviour. Wherefore this substance also, according to them, was reinstated in Pleroma.

(de Quæst. Ev. lib. 2. qu. 33.) Or by the nine pieces of silver, as by the ninety and nine sheep, He represents those who trusting in themselves, prefer themselves to sinners returning to salvation. For there is one wanting to nine to make it ten, and to ninety-nine to make it a hundred. To one He assigns all who are reconciled by repentance.

Or what woman etc. After the parable of the shepherd and his sheep, there follows here the parable of the woman and the drachmas; in which indeed under the metaphor of the drachma there is manifested the mercy of God toward man, and this in four ways, namely toward man as created, toward man as fallen, toward man as restored, toward man as justified.

And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.’

(Orat. xlv. 26.) But the piece of silver being found, He makes the heavenly powers partakers of the joy whom He made the ministers of His dispensation, and so it follows, And when she had found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours.

And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost." Who are these friends and neighbors but those heavenly powers previously mentioned? They are as close to heavenly wisdom as they approach it by the grace of continuous vision.

Third, as regards the lovingkindness toward restored humanity, he adds: And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors. By the friends and neighbors of divine wisdom are understood the good Angels and holy souls.

In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.

And not alone by what has been stated, but also by the parable of the two sons, the younger of whom consumed his substance by living luxuriously with harlots, did the Lord teach one and the same Father, who did not even allow a kid to his elder son; but for him who had been lost, [namely] his younger son, he ordered the fatted calf to be killed, and he gave him the best robe.

(de Quæst. Ev. l. ii. qu. 33.) This man then having two sons is understood to be God having two nations, as if they were two roots of the human race; and the one composed of those who have remained in the worship of God, the other, of those who have ever deserted God to worship idols.

And he said: A certain man had two sons. After the parable of the shepherd and his sheep and of the woman and the drachmas, there is here subjoined a third parable, of the father and sons, so that, since the piety of a father toward his son is the greatest, the greatest piety of God toward the converted sinner might be shown here, who is understood through the prodigal son.

The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

The younger son then went away not yet matured in mind, and seeks from his father the part of his inheritance which fell to him, that in truth he might not serve of necessity. For we are rational animals endowed with free will.

"He divided his means between them." The son is as impatient as the father was kind. He is weary of his father's own life. Since he cannot shorten his father's life, he works to get possession of his property. He was not content to possess his father's wealth in company with his father, and he deserved to lose the privileges of a son.Let us make some inquiries.

And because freedom of choice in the vain and sinful frequently presumes upon its own powers and usurps for itself what belongs to God, therefore he adds: And the younger of them said to the father: Father, give me the portion of the substance that falls to me.

After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living.

Hence too was the prodigal denominated one who wasted his substance, that is, his right understanding, the teaching of chastity, the knowledge of the truth, the recollections of his father, the sense of creation.

That younger son in your Gospel did not help himself with horses, or chariots, or ships, or fly away on visible wings or journey by walking. Through prodigal living in a distant region, he wasted what you, a kind father, had given him as he set out. You were kind in making him this gift, yet kinder still to him when he returned in need.

Second, as regards the perpetration of voluntary fault, he adds: And not many days after, having gathered all together, through the dominion of free will, which has authority over all the natural powers: the younger son went abroad into a far country, and this by perpetrating sin.

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

As it follows, And when he had spent all, there arose a great famine in that land. The famine is the want of the word of truth. It follows, And he began to be in want. Fitly did he begin to be in want who abandoned the treasures of the wisdom and the knowledge of God, and the unfathomableness of the heavenly riches.

When this estate has been squandered and a person lives neither according to reason, that is, according to natural law, nor follows the written Law, nor listens to the prophets, then a severe famine sets in (for him)—not a famine of bread, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord (Amos 8:11).

And after he had consumed all things, etc. After describing the insolence of the prodigal son, here he describes his misery and want, and this with respect to three things, namely with respect to the hardship of famine, with respect to the disgrace of servitude, and with respect to the most extreme kind of beggary.

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

There are those who interpret the swine as being the flocks of demons, the husks as the lack of virtue of worthless people and the boastful words of those who cannot do good. By the empty allure of philosophy and the noisy applause for eloquence, they show ostentation rather than any usefulness. These cannot be lasting pleasures.

"He went and joined one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his farm to feed swine." This is the experience that comes to one who refuses to trust himself to his father but delivers himself to a stranger. He flees from a most generous provider and endures a severe judge.

Secondly, as to the reproach of servitude, he adds: And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that region: now a citizen in the region of unlikeness and of sin is one who has established his permanent dwelling in sin.

He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.

Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food, but I am starving to death!

Jacob led out his sheep And brought them to his father's home; A symbol for those with discernment, A parable for those with perception Is to be found in this homecoming: Let us too return to our Father's house, My brothers, and do not become captivated with desire For this transient earth —for your true city is in Eden.

It was the same with the younger son who squandered his property and wasted his father's property living among prostitutes. Despite all this, he did not lose his honorable title of son.

But he, coming to himself. After having described the prodigal son's insolence and misery, he describes here thirdly his repentance, which he describes as fully sufficient, namely as regards the humility of contrition, confession, and satisfaction.

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

Then he shall get up, come to his father, and confess to him, "I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me like one of your hired servants."When he confesses like that, he will be considered worthy of more than that for which he prayed. His father neither takes him in like a hired servant nor treats him like a stranger.

(ubi sup.) For he was lying down. And I will go, for he was a long way off. To my father, because he was under a master of swine. But the other words are those of one meditating repentance in confession of sin, but not yet working it. For he does not now speak to his father, but promises that he will speak when he shall come.

Secondly, as regards the humility of confession, he adds: I will arise and go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven, in which he confesses that he has sinned against ecclesiastical unity, which is understood by the name of heaven.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

There are three different distinct kinds of obedience. For either from fear of punishment we avoid evil and are servilely disposed; or looking to the gain of a reward we perform what is commanded, like to mercenaries; or we obey the law for the sake of good itself and our love to Him who gave it, and so savour of the mind of children.

And I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants. Indeed, he does not dare to aspire to the affection of a son, who does not doubt that all things which are of the father are his own, but he desires the status of a hired servant, now willing to serve for a wage. Yet he testifies that he can merit even this only by paternal grace.

And because an offense against such great majesty deprives us of the dignity of divine filiation, he therefore confesses his own unworthiness, when he adds: Now I am not worthy to be called your son: and this indeed he confesses rightly and truly, because to be a son of God belongs to the greatest charity, according to that passage in 1 John 3: "See, brethren, what manner of ch…

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

In the case of the prodigal son, it is the patience of his father that welcomes, clothes, feeds and finds an excuse for him in the face of the impatience of his angry brother. The one who perished is rescued, because he embraced repentance. Repentance is not wasted because it meets up with patience!

(ubi sup.) For before that he perceived God afar off, when he was yet piously seeking him, his father saw him. For the ungodly and proud, God is well said not to see, as not having them before his eyes. For men are not commonly said to be before the eyes of any one except those who are beloved.

Third, with respect to the humility of satisfaction, he adds: And rising up he came to his father. By this rising is understood the abandonment of sin and a certain distancing from it, which is the beginning of satisfaction.

The son declared, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But if any one returns, and shows forth the fruit of repentance, then do ye receive him to prayer, as the lost son, the prodigal, who had consumed his father's substance with harlots, who fed swine, and desired to be fed with husks, and could not obtain it.

He now comes back to his Father and cries, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you." Every day in its prayer, the church testifies that the younger son has returned to his Father's house and is calling God his Father. [The church] prays, "Our Father, who art in heaven," "I have sinned against heaven and before you."

Second, with respect to the reverence of the son accusing himself he adds: And the son said to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven, namely through contempt of the Majesty presiding over all things: Job 11: "It is higher than heaven, and what will you do? It is deeper than hell, and how will you know?"; and 22: "Do you not know that God is higher than heaven?" etc.

But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Thus it was, too, that God formed man at the first, because of His munificence; but chose the patriarchs for the sake of their salvation; and prepared a people beforehand, teaching the headstrong to follow God; and raised up prophets upon earth, accustoming man to bear His Spirit [within him], and to hold communion with God: He Himself, indeed, having need of nothing, but grant…

"Give him a ring for his finger." The father's devotion is not content to restore only his innocence. It also brings back his former honor. "And give him sandals for his feet." He was rich when he departed, but how poor he has returned! Of all his substance, he does not even bring back shoes on his feet!

But the father said to his servants. After the father's mercy in receiving the unworthy one has been shown, there is here subjoined mercy in clothing the naked.

Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

(ut sup.) For the father himself rejoices in the return of his son, and feasts on the calf, because the Creator, rejoicing in the acquisition of a believing people, feasts on the fruit of His mercy by the sacrifice of His Son. Hence it follows, For this my son was dead, and is alive again.

And they began to celebrate. These feasts and festivities are now celebrated, extended and spread throughout the world by the Church. For indeed that calf is offered in the body and blood of the Lord, both to the Father, and it feeds the whole household.

Secondly, as regards the consideration of the man who is saved, he adds: Because this my son was dead, through sin, which makes men dead: Psalm: "The dead shall not praise you, O Lord"; and again John 8: "You shall die in your sin." And has come back to life, through repentance: Ephesians 5: "Rise, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall enlighten you"; and Psa…

Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

The elder son then as a husbandman was engaged in husbandry, digging not the land, but the field of the soul, and planting trees of salvation, that is to say, the virtues.

The older brother, the older son coming from the field, the people of the law, hears the music and dancing in the Father's house, yet he does not want to enter. "The harvest indeed is abundant, but the laborers are few." Every day we see this same thing happen with our own eyes. The Jewish people comes to its Father's house, the church.

Now his son was etc. After he showed the mercy of the loving father in accepting the conversion of the penitent, here secondly he shows his mercy in appeasing the indignation of the obedient son. Now this part is divided into two.

So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on.

‘Your brother has returned,’ he said, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.’

The older son 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 never disobeyed a commandment of yours. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

He, then, will receive you, His own son, back, even if you have squandered what you had received from Him, even if you return naked-just because you have returned; and will joy more over your return than over the sobriety of the other; but only if you heartily repent-if you compare your own hunger with the plenty of your Father's "hired servants"-if you leave behind you the swi…

Next the answer of the elder son involves two questions; for it follows, And he answering said to his father, Lo these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment.

Second, as to the insolent response of the son, he adds: But he answering said to his father: Behold, so many years I serve you: where he responds insolently, both because he boasts of his own justice, saying that he served his father for a long time, although the Father himself has no need of our service, according to that passage of the Psalm: "I said to the Lord: You are my…

But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

(Ubi sup.) Now in that which he says, Thou hast killed for him the fatted calf, he confesses that Christ has come, but envy has no wish to be saved.

But after your son, this one who has devoured his wealth with prostitutes comes, you killed the fattened calf for him. The prostitutes are the superstitions of the Gentiles, with whom to dissipate wealth is, having forsaken the single union of the word of God, to commit fornication with the crowd of demons with the most shameful desire.

Likewise he reproaches the father's clemency, when he adds: But after this son of yours: as if to say: not my brother; just as the Lord said out of indignation in Exodus thirty-two: "Go down from the mountain, for your people have sinned," yours, he says, not mine; because on account of his fault I disdain to acknowledge him as brother.

‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said, ‘and all that is mine is yours.

But the kind father was still desirous to save him, saying, Thou art ever with me, either as a Jew in the law, or as the righteous man in communion with Him. For if he ceases to envy, he will feel all things to be his, either as the Jew possessing the sacraments of the Old Testament, or as a baptized person those of the New also.

The Father steps outside and says to his son, "Son, you are always with me." How is he with his son? In the person of Abel, Enoch, Shem, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and all the holy men from which stems Christ's Jewish lineage read in the Gospel when it says, "Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob," and so on.

Third, as to placating satisfaction, he adds: But he said to him: Son, you are always with me. Note here the most benign response of the father, because, although he could have accused the son of presumption, of indignation, of insolence, and of inhumanity, nevertheless he does not accuse him, lest he disturb him further, but lovingly soothes him, so as to calm him; because, Pr…

But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Luke15