Luke 15:7 (DRB)

Passage

I say to you that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.

Nearby Context

Luke 15:5 And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing?

Luke 15:6 And coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost?

Luke 15:7 I say to you that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.

Luke 15:8 Or what woman having ten groats, if she lose one groat, doth not light a candle and sweep the house and seek diligently until she find it?

Luke 15:9 And when she hath found it, call together her friends and neighbours, saying: Rejoice with me, because I have found the groat which I had lost.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "even", "shall", "heaven", "upon", "sinner", "doth", "penance", and "than". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "even" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "And coming home call together his friends..." into verse 8's "Or what woman having ten groats if...", so "even" and "shall" 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 "even" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.