Luke 15:23 (WEB)

Passage

Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate;

Nearby Context

Luke 15:21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Luke 15:22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.

Luke 15:23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate;

Luke 15:24 for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ They began to celebrate.

Luke 15:25 “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bring", "fattened", "calf", "kill", 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 servants..." into verse 24's "for this my son was dead and...", 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.