Luke 15:1-7
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
In this parable, it is first necessary to understand who Christ’s audience is. We see two groups of people: sinners/tax collectors and the Pharisees The sinners and tax collectors can be put in the group that desires to hear God’s word. But do the Pharisees? No, they are there to bust holes into Christ’s theology and call him a fraud. The Pharisees lived in separation from sinners and people they thought were of a lesser spiritual quality. But this is the disconnect. Christ lives among these people, because those are the ones who desperately need to hear his message.
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
This is the heart of the parable. First, we have to know a little about sheep. Sheep are essentially a pretty unintelligent animal. A sheep strays easily. Once it has strayed, it is incapable of finding their flock again. So it generally stays in one spot and bleats for the flock. If it is afraid, it will run in the opposite direction of the flock. In other words, once the sheep is separated, the sheep cannot save itself. If the shepherd does not come to save it, the sheep will die.
When we look at the spiritual side of this, it is a striking picture of how God cherishes us and wants to save us. You’ll notice something about the shepherd. He does not see it as a chore to rescue the single lost sheep. He goes out looking for it, searching, hunting until he finds it. This is strikingly different from the Pharisees. The Pharisees believed that a sinner could be received by them if he came back the correct way (through the Jewish traditions). God “the searcher” is a new concept taught by Jesus.
When the sheep is found, you’ll notice how the shepherd treats the sheep. He doesn’t scold it, but hoists it on his shoulders and celebrates that he was found. It is a joyous occasion when the lost sheep is found. Repenting is necessary in this process for us, for when God finds us, and we find him, it is a joyous occasion.
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
In this parable, it is first necessary to understand who Christ’s audience is. We see two groups of people: sinners/tax collectors and the Pharisees The sinners and tax collectors can be put in the group that desires to hear God’s word. But do the Pharisees? No, they are there to bust holes into Christ’s theology and call him a fraud. The Pharisees lived in separation from sinners and people they thought were of a lesser spiritual quality. But this is the disconnect. Christ lives among these people, because those are the ones who desperately need to hear his message.
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
This is the heart of the parable. First, we have to know a little about sheep. Sheep are essentially a pretty unintelligent animal. A sheep strays easily. Once it has strayed, it is incapable of finding their flock again. So it generally stays in one spot and bleats for the flock. If it is afraid, it will run in the opposite direction of the flock. In other words, once the sheep is separated, the sheep cannot save itself. If the shepherd does not come to save it, the sheep will die.
When we look at the spiritual side of this, it is a striking picture of how God cherishes us and wants to save us. You’ll notice something about the shepherd. He does not see it as a chore to rescue the single lost sheep. He goes out looking for it, searching, hunting until he finds it. This is strikingly different from the Pharisees. The Pharisees believed that a sinner could be received by them if he came back the correct way (through the Jewish traditions). God “the searcher” is a new concept taught by Jesus.
When the sheep is found, you’ll notice how the shepherd treats the sheep. He doesn’t scold it, but hoists it on his shoulders and celebrates that he was found. It is a joyous occasion when the lost sheep is found. Repenting is necessary in this process for us, for when God finds us, and we find him, it is a joyous occasion.