The Bible Bloke

I have always thought that the 99 sheep were those who had been saved, and were familiar with the voice of the shepherd. In writing the previous post, however, I happened across a couple of commentators who pointed at the previous chapter in which Jesus was fencing with the Pharisees about the need to keep the law for the sake of keeping the law. What was fresh in my mind after glancing back over those verses, in which Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, was the fact that God showing His concern for the wellbeing of one of His children was paramount. Jesus is quick to remind the Pharisees that they would not hesitate to give aid to a suffering donkey, or an ox on the Sabbath, and yet helping another human being who is clearly in distress is out of the question? In Luke 19:10, Jesus, having had lunch with Zacchaeus, tells us that He came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” Indeed, the Parable of the lost sheep is followed by the parable of the lost coin, and the m...

What comes to mind when you think about the word “lost.” Sure, a long running TV show that had a very strange ending springs to mind. But for me, the image that comes first is Jesus talking about the lost sheep. I’m sure you know the parable. 99 are in the fold and the one, well, it’s out and about in the wilderness. Crying out to be found. If you think about it you can hear the heart wrenching cries as it tries to call to the Shepherd. I close my eyes and I can see it, tangled in briars, or jammed into a crag, unable to move. When I think about that I am brought close to Christ, knowing that on some days I feel very much like that sheep. Lost. “Rejoice with me,” Says the Lord, “For I have found my sheep which was lost!” (Luke 15:6) But the parable isn’t just about sheep. We are told in Luke 15 v7 that “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” These are the Lord’s words. Can y...