Luke 15:31 (LSB)

Passage

And he said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

Nearby Context

Luke 15:29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and never have I neglected a command of yours. And yet never have you given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends.

Luke 15:30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

Luke 15:31 And he said to him, ‘Child, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

Luke 15:32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive, and was lost and has been found.’”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "child", "always", "mine", and "yours". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "child", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "But when this son of yours came..." into verse 32's "But we had to celebrate and rejoice...", so "said" and "child" 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 "said" and "child" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.