Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
What does Luke 15:10 mean?
The parable of the lost sheep is very applicable to the great work of man's redemption.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Luke 15:8-10 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Luke 15:10
10. Likewiseon the same principle. joy, &c. Note carefully the language herenot "joy on the part," but "joy in the presence of the angels of God." True to the idea of the parables. The Great Shepherd. The Great Owner Himself, is He whose the joy properly is over His own recovered property; but so vast and exuberant is it (Zec 8:17), that as if He could not keep it to Himself, He "calleth His friends and neighbors together"His whole celestial familysaying, "Rejoice WITH Me, for I have found My sheep-My-piece," &c. In this sublime sense it is "joy," before "or in the presence of the angels"; they only "catch the flying joy," sharing it with Him!
Key words
- Likewise
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Likewise I say unto you,.
Context in Luke 15
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Luke 15 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as journey to Jerusalem. Luke emphasizes salvation for the poor and the outsider, prayer, joy, women, table fellowship, the Holy Spirit, and the universal reach of Christ’s mission. Read this chapter with the wider themes of salvation, Spirit, and prayer in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.
Central texts on sin, grace, faith, Christ’s saving work, and the Bible’s announcement that salvation is received rather than achieved.