Parables — The Parable of the Lost Sheep

In Luke 15 , Jesus answers the muttering of religious leaders who resent that he welcomes sinners. To tax collectors and the devout alike he tells of a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find one lost sheep, and a woman who sweeps the house for one lost coin. Scripture describes life apart from God as being lost, pursuing direction that only leads further away. Against this, the parables insist that God actively and intentionally searches, and that heaven rejoices more over one sinner who repents than over the ninety-nine who think they need no repentance. An extended look at the nature of sheep, defenseless, prone to wander, dependent on the shepherd, frames the heart of the message. If God feels distant, the question is not whether he stopped pursuing, but whether we ran. The church, in turn, is called to seek the lost with the same intent and to celebrate when they are found.