Lost Sheep

No Repentance Needed?

In this passage Luke records the words of Jesus and explains to us what the mission is that Jesus is engaging. “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 15:2.

These two Parables offered to us by Jesus help to explain the mission. Often times the righteous will argue about the mission because of the sinner effect. 15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 15:1–2. The sinner effect reflects the thought that we are above those who are recognized sinners. From an earlier passage Jesus addresses the issue this way, “ Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Lk 5:30–32. The Pharisees saw themselves as righteous. They were the ones teaching others about the law. So what happens is that we begin by thinking that those outside of the law are not part of the sheep. In Matthew we see an explanation of how people outside of the wedding feast were called into the banquet. “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 22:2–14.

Because of the lack of desire to hear the call of the King the doors were thrown wide. When we look at the world with eyes wide open we can discover that God created all of us in His image. We should not pick and choose who we look after. “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 15:4–7. Ownership of a sheep herd is all about accountability. As a shepherd it is our responsibility to gather the sheep. Lovers of animals and owners of animals understand this responsibility and they do not take it lightly. “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Lk 19:9–10. This divine attitude is illustrated by the willingness of a shepherd to go out over the hills searching, so that not even one sheep may be missing from his flock. There may well be shepherds who do in fact ask: ‘What does one lost sheep matter compared with ninety-nine safe in the fold?’ and ignore the value of the individual. Not so with God. He rejoices even more (if that is possible) over the return of the lost than over the safety of those at home. So too a housewife summons her friends to share in her rejoicing when she finds her lost coin. In just the same way, it is implied, the Pharisees should share in God’s rejoicing over the salvation of the outcasts.

I. Howard Marshall, “Luke,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 1005.

Can we all recognize the value of animals and perhaps of money? The second passage here uses another story, this time concerning money, to give an explanation of the value of the lost. If you are going to know that you have lost a coin you must first have a true count of your possessions. In other words if you do not care enough to know your herd or your money you will never know when you have lost one. Jesus cares enough to know the count. He counts us every day and knows when one is missing.