The Heart of the Good Shepherd: Luke 15:3-7
“3) So He told them this parable, saying, 4) “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5) 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 which was lost!’ 7) I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:3-7
Keep in mind, Jesus is responding to the criticism of spending time in the company of tax gatherers and sinners.
He responded by telling the story of the shepherd who had a hundred sheep and lost one of them. He was a 1% looser, but the loss was not acceptable to him. He left the 99 and went searching for the one that had strayed.
The straying lamb is in imminent danger. Predators watch for them. They are an easy target. Finding them quickly is the goal of the shepherd.
The story is a picture of the heart of Jesus as the good shepherd. (See John 10) His mission was to seek and save the lost.
Upon finding the straying lamb, He puts it on his shoulders and begins to rejoice. When he returns home, he gathered his friends and neighbors and celebrates, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
This illustrates the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The heart of Jesus pulsates with the mission to seek and save the lost. That’s why we call Him “the Savior.”
He did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. (See John 3:16-17)
Daily Bible Commentary
By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
