In Luke’s account Jesus delivers three parables (The lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son) one after the other all dealing with the same subject of the Lost. He was responding to the mutterings of the religious leaders who took umbrage at him consorting with sinners. By these three parables Jesus was in summary making it clear that his mission was to the marginalized and lost, not to the chosen and the righteous.
In Matthew’s account the context is a little different which suggests that Jesus told these parables on more than just one occasion. In this instance he was answering the disciples question about who the greatest was in the Kingdom of Heaven, to which Jesus gives three answers. The first was to encourage his followers to take on the humility of child, the second was a warning to anyone who causes another believer to stumble, and the third was a very graphic illustration to what lengths a believer must go through to gain entry in the Kingdom.
Jesus then says something quite remarkably alarming, that the supernatural guardians, the angels of these little ones, stand before God day and night bringing their report.
THE QUESTION
Jesus begins this parable by asking a question, as if to invite us to participate in the parable, to find our own thought-patterns on a particular subject, encouraging us to be thoughtful individuals.
By asking what we think about the obvious response of a man pursuing one lost sheep, he is also inviting us to consider why a man would NOT be compelled to. In this instance it would make such a man callous, unsympathetic and reckless with his possessions and responsibility. The Apostle Peter wrote that our Lord is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), echoing the words of Jesus, which highlights the fastidious mercy of the Father, and the great lengths He himself went through to give up his Son for us. With the depth of this realization how could anyone not respond appropriately?
If however we consider a man who does pursue his sheep, then the obvious answer is that it’s because the sheep belong to him. He bought them and owns them, just like Jesus Christ bought us and paid in blood for us. He therefore owns us and has the responsibility of pursuing and bringing us back to the rest of the sheep who are in the presence of God. Our journey is therefore a pilgrimage to Heaven’s Kingdom.
It is important to note that God is ultimately responsible in finding His sheep. Father, Son and Spirit might move through us to accomplish this, but it is still God’s responsibility for conversion.
Since reading this I have created a habit for silently praying for people around me on my public transport journeys. I ask God to ring their bell so to speak, and for me to be waiting in the wings to facilitate their questions and their return, beginning with the words; “here before me Lord, stands a brother/sister of Christ…”
THE JOURNEY OF THE FATHER
The parable begins and ends with a vision of heaven, showing how God’s journey is one of (1) suffering loss, (2) taking responsibility in the journeying, (3) diligently persistent in the finding, (4) love in the returning, (5) joy in the rejoicing and (6) sharing in the fellowship.
THE NINETY-NINE
Jesus leaves the ninety-nine on hills and in open country, depending which account you read, both safe and green pastures, to find the one lost. There is no need for the ninety-nine to repent because they have already done so and become justified by faith (Romans 1:16-17, 5:1-2, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10).
Repentance however is not just words but actions. It’s not just saying sorry but taking steps to change for the better, to be set on renovation, and indeed we are admonished to ‘overcome’ (Revelation 2:7) and not remain in a perpetual cycle of repentance.
THE LOST
What does it mean to be lost? There are many definitions of what constitutes a lost and wandering soul. In the Old Testament God indicted ancient Israel for their divided hearts because of their idolatry. In the story of Jonah God describes the extremely violent people of the Assyrian city Ninevah as not knowing their right hand from the left (Jonah 4:11).
But while Jesus uses the parable to describe the lost as unintelligent, direction-less, restless, weak and needy sheep, he book-ends with the same description at the start of the parable, that they are “Little Ones”. Viewing the lost from the Father’s point-of-view, as lost little children.
THE LITTLE ONES
The attitude of a child would depend on the character, age and parentage of the child, but the common thinking is that children are unequivocally dependent on an authority and in the context of sheep, a shepherd’s voice. Children are also generally willing and happy to be guided and led.
However, in the context of the parable Jesus points to one specific quality of a child, that of humility, which is not necessarily what a child is prone to in our western culture. There is also a certain awareness associated with ‘taking a lowly position’, as too a repentant child, but what Jesus was implying was quite radical.
Not only does Jesus invite us to look through God’s eyes, how He as a loving Father sees right past our adult veneer into our petulant and fickle ways to call us children, but suggests the impossible, that even as adults with our adult awareness we can change and revert back to a childlike state of being. And the only way of doing this, is to take a ‘lowly position’ before God, that of a penitent repentant.
THE WANDERING
A wanderer would have once been part of a fold or a tribe, which means that being part of a community, any community, is better than being totally isolated and independent, a state of being our current western culture exacerbates through it’s perpetual preaching of personal freedoms. This point is driven home when we consider that one sheep was formerly part of the ninety-nine, the one coin part of the ten and the lost son part of the two. Whether church or Zen finger wrestling club, being part of community is better, but it’s not the best.
We’ve already established that the Kingdom of Heaven is God’s entire world, therefore all who are away from God are classed as wandering sheep. The ultimate communal relationship, one which honours our design, is communion with the Holy Family.
Matthew 18:10-14, Luke 15:1-7
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