Luke 15:11

9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’

10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.

12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them ^ahis livelihood.

13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with¹ prodigal living.

14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the¹ pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, ^aI have sinned against heaven and before you,

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

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But ^awhen he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven ^aand in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Luke 15:11 Mean?

The younger of the two sons embodies pride, the same root of Satan's failure, showing disrespect for authority and deference to his elders. Thinking only of himself, he disregards how his actions affect others. Demanding his inheritance before his parents' deaths treats God's gifts as debts owed to him, an act of disrespect equivalent to wishing his father dead. His impatient pursuit of pleasure and entertainment mirrors people today who selfishly press their rights rather than fulfill responsibilities—seeking sex, wealth, and gratification immediately while neglecting spiritual needs until despair strikes. Shame and destruction follow pride, and his unwise actions bring him to despair and a re-evaluation of his life. Despite his son's insolence, the father showed no anger and granted the demand.

Luke 15:11-16

The younger son shows a lack of respect for authority and deference to his elders. His central problem is pride, just as it was the root of Satan's failure (Isaiah 14:13). He finds out that shame and destruction follow pride (Proverbs 11:2; 16:18). In his disrespect for authority, he thinks primarily of himself, totally disregarding how it affects others. His request for his inheritance is not to benefit others but to pursue pleasure—especially entertainment (Proverbs 21:17). As a result, his unwise actions bring him to the point of despair and a re-evaluation of his life.

By demanding his share of his inheritance before his parents' deaths, he shows that he looks upon God's gifts as debts rightfully owed to him. Impatiently, he demands his share immediately. People today constantly, selfishly, and arrogantly press their rights rather than fulfill responsibilities. Many will not wait until marriage for sex but seek it now. They do not want to work for wealth but gamble to get it immediately. Sadly, they will also wait a long time before taking care of their spiritual needs—and then only when brought to despair (II Corinthians 6:2; Ecclesiastes 7:8).

Martin G. Collins
Parables of Luke 15 (Part Three)

Luke 15:11-13

Here we witness the prodigal son, driven by excessive pride, heading down a dangerous path away from the security of life at home with his father. Not only did he display a foolhardy lack of patience, but in that time, to demand an inheritance early was considered an act of disrespect toward one's father. It was as if he were saying, “Father, I wish you were already dead.” However, despite his son's insolence, the father showed no anger and gave the boy what he had demanded.

Ted E. Bowling
The Elder Brother

**Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Luke 15:11:**

Deuteronomy 31:27

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