Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2.pdf

<strong>Commentary</strong> on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2
22. And the father said to his servants, Bring out the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring
on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23. And bring the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us feast, and
be merry: 24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. 519 And they
began to be merry.
This parable is nothing else than a confirmation of the preceding doctrine. 520 In the first part is
shown how readily God is disposed to pardon our sins, and in the second part (which we shall
afterwards treat in the proper place) is shown the great malignity and obstinacy of those who murmur
at his compassion. In the person of a young prodigal who, after having been reduced to the deepest
poverty by luxury and extravagance, returns as a suppliant to his father, 521 to whom he had been
disobedient and rebellious, Christ describes all sinners who, wearied of their folly, apply to the
grace of God. To the kind father, 522 on the other hand, who not only pardons the crimes of his son,
but of his own accord meets him when returning, he compares God, who is not satisfied with
pardoning those who pray to him, but even advances to meet them with the compassion of a father.
523 Let us now examine the parable in detail.
Luke 15:12. And the younger of them said to his father. The parable opens by describing a
mark of wicked arrogance in the youth, which appears in his being desirous to leave his father, and
in thinking that he cannot be right without being permitted to indulge in debauchery, free from his
father’s control. There is also ingratitude in leaving the old man, 524 and not only withholding the
performance of the duties which be owed to him, but crippling and diminishing the wealth of his
house. 525 This is at length followed by wasteful luxury and wicked extravagance, by which he
squanders all that he had. 526 After so many offenses he deserved to find his father implacable. 527
519 “Car mon fils que voyci estoit mort, et il est retourne a vie: il estoit perdu, mais il est retrouve;” — “for this is my son who
was dead, and he is returned to life; he was lost, but he is found again.”
520 “De la doctrine que nous venons de voir;” — “of the doctrine which we have just now seen.”
521 “Retourne pour demander pardon a son pere;” — “returns to ask pardon from his father.”
522 “Aussi en la personne de ce bon pere il nous propose l’affection de Dieu;” — “also in the person of this good father he
holds out to us the affection of God.”
523 “Mais les previent par sa bonte et misericorde paternelle;” — “but anticipates them by his fatherly goodness and compassion.”
524 “Delaissant le bon vieil hemme de pere;” — “leaving the good old man his father.”
525 “Mais aussi diminue le bien de la maison, et en emporte une bonne partie;” — “but also diminishes the wealth of the house,
and carries off a good part of it.”
526 “Tout ce qu’il avoit eu du pere;” — “all that he had got from his father.”
527 “Il avoit bien merite de trouver puis apres un pere rigoreux, et qui teint son coeur contre luy iusqu’au bout;” — “he had
well deserved to find afterwards a father who was severe, and who kept his heart shut against him to the end.”
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John Calvin