Luke 15:23 (LSB)

Passage

and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let us eat and celebrate,

Nearby Context

Luke 15:21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Luke 15:22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet,

Luke 15:23 and bring the fattened calf, slaughter it, and let us eat and celebrate,

Luke 15:24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bring", "fattened", "calf", "slaughter", and "celebrate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bring" and "fattened", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "But the father said to his slaves..." into verse 24's "for this son of mine was dead...", so "bring" and "fattened" 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 "bring" and "fattened" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.