In Jesus’ parable, when the shepherd finds the stray sheep, he doesn’t scold it but ties a rope around its neck to drag it back to the fold. ![]() Jesus will take the weight of our sins if we follow Him. He offers us His Word as a roadmap and sent us His Son to light the way ( John 3:16).Ģ. Like the good shepherd who searches for his lost sheep, God seeks out the scattered flock of humanity to guide them back to Him. As the second person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus is likewise described as our shepherd ( Micah 5:4). The Bible tells us that God is our shepherd, wanting to tend to our needs and keep us safe ( Psalm 23:1). In the same way that a shepherd values each sheep in his flock, God holds dear each and every one of us. They knew how valuable each animal was and that one stray sheep was in more danger of death than an entire flock, which tended to stay together. The parable ends by comparing the joy in heaven when a sinner repents to that of the joy this shepherd felt when he recovered his lost sheep ( Luke 15:1-7). When he finds the sheep, the shepherd joyously carries it home and invites his friends to join him in celebrating the successful recovery. Upon noticing that one has wandered off, he leaves the other 99 in search of the lost animal. In this parable, a shepherd goes out to pasture his flock of a hundred sheep. In response to the legal experts’ scorn, Jesus told three parables with one common thread: we must never let life’s obstacles make us lose sight of what holds true value. The legal experts implied that Jesus was unworthy of following because He associated with sinners instead of banishing them as “unclean” and, therefore, not right with God ( Luke 15:2). In contrast to this group of sinners stood a group of legal experts - Pharisees and scribes - who watched and grumbled against Jesus. In this particular scene, Jesus welcomed His listeners to dine with Him ( Luke 15:1-2). Luke opens his fifteenth chapter with a familiar scene in the gospels: Jesus is surrounded by sinners who are eager to hear His words. Let’s take a closer look at the parables and see how. Most of us can see ourselves in at least one of the “lost” parables. In it, we read of the symbolism between lost things of value and sinners, and the symbolism between a community rejoicing over lost things found and the joy in heaven when a sinner repents. This is what God is calling us to do.The fifteenth chapter of Luke’s gospel is a short chapter packed with meaning. We have been called to love and care for all people. The parable of the lost sheep teaches us how we should love others regardless of how they look or act. That is why God is often referred to as The Good Shepherd. ![]() This parable paints the picture of the type of love God has for us. If a child is lost or separated from a parent, who wouldn’t go to extreme measures to find their lost child? Most parents would leave everything behind to search for their child who had wandered off. ![]() The heart of God is like a parent searching for a lost child. This parable explains how God is seeking out his lost children and rejoicing when they are found. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me I have found my lost sheep.’ 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.” Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Luke 15:3-7: “Then Jesus told them this parable: Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Jesus turns towards the crowd and tells the story of how a shepherd left his flock of 99 sheep to go find one lost sheep. Jesus told the story in response to criticism by the religious leaders for “eating with sinners.” They were offended that Jesus would associate with these types of people. The parable is found in the Gospels of both Matthew and Luke. The Parable of the Lost Sheep is a short but powerful parable told by Jesus to illustrate the love and compassion that God has for every person. There are more than 30 parables in the Bible, each with its own dynamic lesson. Jesus used these short stories to relay important instructions and lessons in ordinary language. He often did this through the use of parables. During His ministry, Jesus frequently challenged conventional wisdom, and He also encouraged His followers to radically demonstrate God’s love.
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