Luke 15:11-32
11 Εἴπεν δέ, Ἄνθρωπός τις εἴχεν δύο υἱούς-
11 Then he said, “A man had two sons:
12 καὶ εἴπεν ὁ νεώτερος αὐτῶν τῷ πατρί, Πάτερ, δός μοι τὸ ἐπιβάλλον μέρος τῆς οὐσίας. Καὶ διεῖλεν αὐτοῖς τὸν βίον.
12 the youngest said to the father, “Father, give me my share of the ousía. And he divided the life (βίον bíon) between them.
This verse contains two very important words in the terminology used in Greek to speak of the mystery of divine, Trinitarian life. These are the word ousía, used in the councils to speak of the divine being, and the word bíon, which designates life. These two words in this verse are usually translated in a banal way, the first indicating property, wealth and the second goods. But this parable speaks not only of our earthly reality, but also of the relationship that binds us to God, from whom we receive being and life. He shares with us his own being, his own life, and in verse 31 of the same parable, the Father addresses the eldest son, telling him that all that belongs ti the Father’s, belongs to the son, too. This Father keeps nothing for himself, but shares and offers his own life to his creatures.
13 Καὶ μετ’ οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας συναγαγὼν ἅπαντα ὁ νεώτερος υἱὸς ἀπεδήμησεν εἰς χώραν μακράν, καὶ ἐκεῖ διεσκόρπισεν τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ, ζῶν ἀσώτως.
13 And after not many days, gathering everything together, the younger son left home for a far country and there squandered his property, living without reserve.
14 Δαπανήσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ πάντα, ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἰσχυρὸς κατὰ τὴν χώραν ἐκείνην, καὶ αὐτὸς ἤρξατο ὑστερεῖσθαι.
14 This one having spent it all, there arose a great famine in that land and it began to lack.
15 Καὶ πορευθεὶς ἐκολλήθη ἑνὶ τῶν πολιτῶν τῆς χώρας ἐκείνης- καὶ ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς ἀγροὺς αὐτοῦ βόσκειν χοίρους.
15 And, having set out on his journey, he engaged with one of the citizens of that region: the latter sent him into his fields to feed the swine.
16 Καὶ ἐπεθύμει γεμίσαι τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν κερατίων ὧν ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι- καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδίδου αὐτῷ.
16 And he desired to fill his belly with the locust beans eaten by the swine, and no one would give it to him.
17 Εἰς ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐλθὼν εἴπεν, Πόσοι μίσθιοι τοῦ πατρός μου περισσεύουσιν ἄρτων, ἐγὼ δὲ λιμῷ ἀπόλλυμαι-
17 Then, entering into himself, he said, “How many servants (μίσθιοι) of my father have abundance of bread and I, here, destroy myself with hunger.
18 ἀναστὰς πορεύσομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου, καὶ ἐρῶ αὐτῷ, Πάτερ, ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου-
18 Rising up, “I will go to my father: Father, I have done wrong against heaven and against you:
19 καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου- ποίησόν με ὡς ἕνα τῶν μισθίων σου.
19 I am in no way worthy to be called your son: treat me as one of your servants (τῶν μισθίων).”
20 Καὶ ἀναστὰς ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ. Ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος, εἴδεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη, καὶ δραμὼν ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν.
20 Having risen, he departed to his father. Being far off, his father saw him and was seized in the bowels; he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
21 Εἴπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ υἱός, Πάτερ, ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου.
21 The son, then, said to him, “Father, I have done wrong against heaven and against you, and I am in no way worthy to be called your son.”
22 Εἴπεν δὲ ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ, Ἐξενέγκατε τὴν στολὴν τὴν πρώτην καὶ ἐνδύσατε αὐτόν, καὶ δότε δακτύλιον εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑποδήματα εἰς τοὺς πόδας-
22 Then the father said to his servants (πρὸς τοὺς δούλους), “Bring, a garment, the first and clothe him, give him a ring for his hand and shoes for his feet.
23 καὶ ἐνέγκαντες τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτὸν θύσατε, καὶ φαγόντες εὐφρανθῶμεν-
23 Having taken the fattened calf, kill it, and in eating let us rejoice:
24 ὅτι οὗτος ὁ υἱός μου νεκρὸς ἦν, καὶ ἀνέζησεν- καὶ ἀπολωλὼς ἦν, καὶ εὑρέθη. Καὶ ἤρξαντο εὐφραίνεσθαι.
24 since my son was dead and has come back to life: he was lost and has been found. And they began to rejoice.
25 Ἦν δὲ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐν ἀγρῷ- καὶ ὡς ἐρχόμενος ἤγγισεν τῇ οἰκίᾳ, ἤκουσεν συμφωνίας καὶ χορῶν.
25 The eldest son was in the field, and when he returned, he came near the house and heard the music and dancing.
26 Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ἕνα τῶν παίδων, ἐπυνθάνετο τί εἴη ταῦτα.
26 And having called to him one of the servants (παῖς), he inquired what this might be.
27 Ὁ δὲ εἴπεν αὐτῷ ὅτι Ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἥκει- καὶ ἔθυσεν ὁ πατήρ σου τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτόν, ὅτι ὑγιαίνοντα αὐτὸν ἀπέλαβεν.
27 The latter then said to him, “Your brother has arrived and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he received him in good health.”
28 Ὠργίσθη δέ, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν εἰσελθεῖν- ὁ οὖν πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐξελθὼν παρεκάλει αὐτόν.
28 Then he became angry and would not enter: his father, therefore, having gone out begged him.
29 Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἴπεν τῷ πατρί, Ἰδού, τοσαῦτα ἔτη δουλεύω σοι, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἐντολήν σου παρῆλθον, καὶ ἐμοὶ οὐδέποτε ἔδωκας ἔριφον, ἵνα μετὰ τῶν φίλων μου εὐφρανθῶ.
29 This one, replying, said to the father, “Look, how many years I have been in your service (δουλεύω) and never have I transgressed one of your commandments, and to me you never gave even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
30 Ὅτε δὲ ὁ υἱός σου οὗτος ὁ καταφαγών σου τὸν βίον μετὰ πορνῶν ἦλθεν, ἔθυσας αὐτῷ τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτόν.
30 But when your son, the one who devoured [the income] of your life (βίον) with prostitutes, came, you killed the fattened calf for him.”
31 Ὁ δὲ εἴπεν αὐτῷ, Tέκνον, σὺ πάντοτε μετ’ ἐμοῦ εἴ, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐμὰ σά ἐστιν.
31 He said to him, “Son (τέκνον), you are always with me, and everything that is mine is yours.
32 Εὐφρανθῆναι δὲ καὶ χαρῆναι ἔδει- ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου οὗτος νεκρὸς ἦν, καὶ ἀνέζησεν- καὶ ἀπολωλὼς ἦν, καὶ εὑρέθη.
31 We had to celebrate and rejoice because your brother, the one who was dead, he came back to life, he was lost and was found.”
This article is related to the following themes and articles:
We are God’s children, not his servants
Luke 17, 7-10 We are useless servants