The ninety-nine and the one: the parable of the lost sheep
A shepherd with a hundred sheep loses one. Any sensible accountant would write it off: one per cent is an acceptable loss. Jesus told a story in which the shepherd does the opposite. He leaves the ninety-nine in the open country and goes after the one until he finds it.
Why Jesus told it
Luke 15 opens with a complaint. Tax collectors and sinners were gathering to hear Jesus, and the Pharisees and teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Jesus answered with three stories: a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. The lost sheep comes first. Shepherds in first-century Judea were responsible for their flocks and could be held accountable for lost animals. A sheep that strayed into the wilderness was in danger from wild animals, falls and exhaustion. Searching for it meant hard and risky work. The parable shows a shepherd who is willing to take that risk.
Carried home
When he finds the sheep, the shepherd “joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home”. A frightened or exhausted sheep often will not walk. The image is tender: the lost one is not driven home, punished or lectured. It is carried.
The party
The shepherd calls his friends and neighbours together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” Jesus then gives the meaning: “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” The line contains a gentle challenge to the critics. Those who think they are the ninety-nine are being invited to join the celebration rather than complain about it.
Matthew's version
Matthew 18 also tells the parable, with a different emphasis. There Jesus uses it to teach about caring for “these little ones” in the community. It ends: “Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” In Matthew, it is about pastoral care for believers who stray. The parable connects with the Old Testament picture of God as shepherd. In Ezekiel 34, God promises, “I myself will search for my sheep.” In John 10, Jesus calls himself the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. The lost sheep parable is that promise in action.
For the church
The parable asks churches whether they are willing to go looking for those who have drifted away, or whether they are content with the ones in the pews. It also speaks to anyone who feels lost. Jesus’s story says God is not waiting for the lost to find their own way back. He is already searching.
Think of someone who has drifted from faith or from your church. What would it look like this week to go after them, not with a lecture, but with care? And if you are the one who feels lost, remember the shoulders of the shepherd.
