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
most important parable of the Prodigal son.
Our focus is
so firmly on the one sheep who is lost, the status of the 99 that are declared righteous
seems almost incidental.
15:2 tells
us that the Pharisees were grumbling that Jesus was receiving and eating with
sinners. By inference he was not giving the Pharisees any attention at all. Based
on the flow of thought preceding this I think it’s fair to say that the parable
of the lost sheep is directed toward the Pharisees. The question asked by Jesus
in verse 4 echoes the question asked 14:5.
In verse 4
Jesus follows on from the idea of heading out on the Sabbath to rescue the ox
that is in distress. (Indeed, if it was one of their sons who had fallen down a
well, they would be very quick to go to the rescue.)
The echo of
that thought resounds in the shepherd leaving the 99 to find the one that is
lost. My assumption has always been that the 99 are safe and will be there for
the shepherd when he returns. The 99 know that the shepherd is there for them
and will return to them. Looking at it that way still gives me great comfort.
The key to
understanding this parable I think, is in the final verse where Jesus points
out that the sinner has repented, and that the other ninety-nine righteous
persons have not, because they “need no repentance.”
If we take a
quick look to Paul, in Romans, we are given some help here. Romans 3 tells us
that we cannot justify ourselves. We are save only through believing in Christ
Jesus. We do not have the capacity to declare ourselves righteous, only God
can, through his Grace.
At the commencement
of Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist prepares the way. Matthew 3:2 we hear John
crying out: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” A little bit
further on when the Pharisees and the Sadducees front up for baptism, John
rebukes them, “brood of vipers,” he says. They are there for the show of
baptism and are not interested in genuine repentance. Note especially verse 8
where we read “[t]herefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance…”
The true
nature of the Pharisees is hinted at in this verse and should carry through in
thinking about those sheep who are happy grazing. With this in mind, I think
the contrast being made between the one lost sheep whom the shepherd goes to
save, with the religious elite who were adversarial against Christ becomes more
plain.
In the
parable of the lost sheep, Jesus goes after the one sheep that is declared
lost. Yet, aren’t we all lost in His eyes? I would say yes we are, but not
everyone recognizes their condition. (And not everyone is open to repentance.)
I feel at
the end of this parable the ninety-nine are indeed more lost than the one sheep
who sees the need for repentance and who is found and rejoiced over by all of
heaven.
The trick is
getting those sheep who are freely grazing in the wilderness1 to recognize
their deep need for God’s Grace.
Amen.
1. The NASB gives the translation as “open
pasture.” This is misleading to an extent. The original Greek – eremos - can be
given as solitary, desolate, secluded, unpopulated or “wilderness.” Both the
ESV and NIV render this as “open country.”