Parable of the Lost Sheep

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The Parable of the Lost Sheep is a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:3-7. It is also found in the Gospel of Thomas 107. Possible Hebrew Bible parallels are Ez 34:6-12 and Ps 119:176.

From Matthew 18:12–13

18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and
one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety
and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that
which is gone astray?  
18:13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto
you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety
and nine which went not astray.

From Luke 15:1-7 (KJV)

15:1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and
sinners for to hear him.  
15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying,
This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.  
15:3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,  
15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he
lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in
the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until
he find it?  
15:5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his
shoulders, rejoicing.  
15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his
friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with
me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.  
15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in
heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over
ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

A similar parable can be found in the Gospel of Thomas (Patterson-Meyer translation):

107. Jesus said, "The (Father's) kingdom is like a
shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the
largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine and looked
for the one until he found it. After he had toiled, he
said to the sheep, 'I love you more than the ninety-
nine.'"

1 Context
2 Overview
3 Interpretation
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Context

The parable of the Lost Sheep is the first of three parables Jesus told (as recounted in Luke 15) in response to the Pharisees and other religious leaders accusation that Jesus "welcomes sinners and eats with them." This was no minor slur, but a way of challenging Jesus' character and authority to teach. Each of the next three parables deals with losing something precious and finding or rescuing it.

[edit] Overview

The story would be a common one to shepherds of the time. If a man lost a sheep, he would leave the others to look for it. When he had found it he would be very glad and rejoice with his friends. In this way the lost sheep becomes (temporarily) more important than all the others.

[edit] Interpretation

The new testament portrays Jesus as interpreting it that "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 emphasis on the lost, the hurting, the disadvantaged and marginalized is seen throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. While the Pharisees and religious leaders were emphasizing the sentiments of Psalm 1:1 ("Blessed is the man / who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked / or stand in the way of sinners / or sit in the seat of mockers") Jesus instead sides with the prophet Ezekiel when he says "if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right... None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him." (Ezek 33:11-13)

Jesus likens a "sinner" to one who is lost. Finding him is more important than many who are not lost. In modern terms, we often see many men and women riskings their lives to try to save one person. The person in peril is at that moment more important than those who are not. If the "sinners" are people in peril, then it makes sense that Jesus spends more time with them. Thus Jesus turns the statement of the Pharisees on its head, changing it from an accusation to justification of his actions.