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Luke 15
15:1-10
Who were tax collectors and sinners?
Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Roman government. People in Israel hated the tax collectors. The tax collector paid the Romans so they could collect taxes from other people. If they collected more taxes than they paid the Roman government, then they were allowed to keep it. Because of this, many tax collectors became rich. The Jews thought a Jewish tax collector betrayed the Jewish people because they took money from the Jews and gave it to the Romans. They thought tax collectors were evil because they took money from people who honored God and gave it to people who rejected God.
The sinners Luke wrote about were Jewish people who did not obey the Law of Moses.
See: Luke 5:29-32
See: Law of Moses; Tax (Tax Collector, Toll); Sin
Who were the scribes?
See: Scribe
What was a parable?
See: Parable
How will there be “joy in heaven”?
Jesus said that there will be “joy in heaven.” Jesus spoke about the joy of God and the joy of the angels. They have joy because a sinner repented.
See: Angel; Sin; Rejoice (Joy, Joyful); Repent (Repentance)
15:11-32
What did the younger son mean when he said “the portion of the wealth that falls to me”?
The younger son said “the portion of the wealth that falls to me”. He was speaking about the money of his inheritance.
See: Inherit (Inheritance, Heir)
How did the younger son live?
The younger son lived recklessly. That is, he wasted his money on doing things that did not honor God.
Why did the younger son say that he “sinned against heaven”?
The younger son said he “sinned against heaven.” This was a metaphor the ancient Jews used to talk about God without saying the word God. That is, the younger son sinned against God.
See: Metaphor; Sin; Heaven
Why was the young man’s father “moved with compassion”?
Jesus said the father was “moved with compassion.” Scholars think the father wanted to be compassionate to his son. That is, he had wanted to show mercy to his young, to forgive him, and to love him.
See: Mercy
What was the “fattened calf”?
The fattened calf was not with the other calves in the field. People gave it extra food and then had it prepared for a special celebration.
How did people believe the younger son was “dead”?
The father spoke about his son being dead. However, he was not dead. He believed his son was dead in some way. That is, he meant that his son was like someone who was dead, but now had come back to life. The father never expected to see his son again.
Why did the father say to the older son, “you are always with me”?
The father told the older son, “you are always with me.” This was because the older son lived with the father all the time. Therefore, there was no need to have a special feast to celebrate his return.