November 22, The Parable of the Lost Sheep, Luke 15:3-7

November 22, The Parable of the Lost Sheep, Luke 15:3-7

This is one of the more famous parables of Jesus quoted by Christians. The context: tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus, and the religious Jews were complaining. The parable follows.

An unspoken message, maybe even an opposite message is how much Jesus loves the Church. Jesus said He would build His Church. Jesus gave His live to redeem for Himself a people of God. The Church is called the Bride of Christ. Don’t let this parable cause you to think that Jesus loves faithful followers any less.

But the thrust of this parable, its thunderous message, is that God loves sinners. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world….” Sinner, lost sheep, are dirty, troublesome, rebellious, and just plain a lot of work to reach. But Jesus said He would leave the 99 in open country and go search for lost sheep. Open country implies unprotected, outside the sheepfold. Lost sheep are so important that leaving the 99 unprotected is worth the risk.

The joy and love for the 99 cannot be understated, but this parable emphasizes the joy over one lost sinner who repents. God really loves each of us. God really loves the unchurched, lost sinners, too.

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.—Luke 15:3-7