Luke 15:15 (ASV)

Passage

And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Nearby Context

Luke 15:13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living.

Luke 15:14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want.

Luke 15:15 And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Luke 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

Luke 15:17 But when he came to himself he said, How many hired servants of my father`s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "went", "joined", "himself", "citizens", "country", "sent", "fields", and "feed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "went" and "joined", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "And when he had spent all there..." into verse 16's "And he would fain have filled his...", so "went" and "joined" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "went" and "joined" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.