Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Luke 15: 3-7

You have to know your audience so that your message is clear. So, who is Jesus directly addressing in this chapter? The tax collectors and sinners were already listening in, so Jesus’ parables here are targeted toward the religious crowd, even though all could understand the meaning of his short stories.

From a practical standpoint to us, it doesn’t make sense to leave the ninety-nine alone to go off to find a single lost sheep, does it But, from the shepherd’s point of view, unless the sheep is pursued, it may be lost forever, it may be injured or be attacked by a predator. And so the shepherd pursues the sheep and when he has searched and rescued the lost one, he celebrates with his friends and neighbors!

Jesus valued the lost, even when the religious types in the crowd disapproved.He was in pursuit of us. Jesus wasn’t just telling a story about sheep. And then Jesus connects the dots between the lost sheep and all of us –

“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” (Luke 15:7).

Even when we aren’t aware that we are lost, He is there searching for us.

He still is..