Luke 15:29

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have served you [as a slave] for all these years and have never disobeyed any of your orders, yet you never gave me [even] a young goat, so I could enjoy myself with my friends.

Cross References

Revelation 3:17

For you are saying, ‘I am wealthy; I have made plenty of money and do not need anything.’ But you do not know that you are [spiritually] wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

Revelation 2:17

“The person who has an ear should listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches. To the person who has victory [in the Christian life] I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will [also] give him a white stone with a new name written on it, which no one understands, except the one who receives it.

Romans 10:3

For they did not know about God’s way of making people right with Himself, so they attempted to establish their own way. In doing this they did not submit to God’s way for being made right with Him.

Romans 7:9

And I was [once] alive before being aware of the law [i.e., complacent and without a sense of guilt]; but when [awareness of] the commandment [not to sin] came, sin sprang to life,

Luke 19:21

for I was afraid of you, knowing you are a hard man to deal with and that you pick up [and keep] something you did not lay down [i.e., lose], and you harvest a crop that you did not plant.’

Luke 18:9

Then Jesus told this parable to certain ones who were relying on their own goodness and putting everyone else down:

Luke 17:10

So, you too, after you have done everything you were told to, should say, ‘We are unworthy slaves. We have done [only] what we were supposed to do.’”

Luke 15:7

I tell you that, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinful person who repents [i.e., changes his heart and life], than over ninety-nine persons who do not need to repent.

Matthew 20:12

saying, ‘These men [you hired] last have worked only one hour and you gave them wages equal to ours when we carried the heaviest load of the day’s work and [put up with] the scorching heat [all day long].’

Romans 3:27

Where then is the [basis for] boasting [i.e., over being right with God]? There is not any. Is it by [obedience to] a law? Is it by doing certain deeds? Not at all, but by a law of faith.

Romans 3:20

This is because no human being can be considered right with God by [obeying] the requirements of a law. [Note: It is difficult to determine the exact sense in which “law” is used in these verses. It may be law generally, or the Law of Moses specifically. See Bruce, pages 52-58]. For the knowledge of what sin is comes from the Law of Moses.

Luke 15:28

But the older son got angry and refused to go into [the house]. So, his father came out and pleaded with him [i.e., to come in and join the celebration].

Luke 15:30

But when this son of yours came [home], after having squandered all you gave him on prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’