Luke 15:11

Had

(ειχεν). Imperfect active. Note εχων (verse Luke 15:4), εχουσα (verse Luke 15:8), and now ειχεν. The self-sacrificing care is that of the owner in each case. Here (verses Luke 15:11-32) we have the most famous of all the parables of Jesus, the Prodigal Son, which is in Luke alone. We have had the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and now the Lost Son. Bruce notes that in the moral sphere there must be self-recovery to give ethical value to the rescue of the son who wandered away. That comes out beautifully in this allegory.