Lost Sheep

We have previously established that asking questions is like going on little quests in search of the truth (The Quests of Heroes). Asking questions is also foundational for acquiring new information. If I don’t seek, I cannot find.

In today’s contemplation, I want to use one of Jesus’ parables to demonstrate how important it is to ask genuine questions.

In the Gospel of Luke, we have a passage that is commonly referred to as the parable of the lost sheep.

Here is a translation of Luke 15:1-7:

     Now the tax collectors and sinners gathered around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

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 pasture 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.

At first glance, this story's message appears quite straightforward: Jesus is the shepherd. I, as a Christian, am a sheep in His flock. He looks out for me, and if I, or one of my fellow believers, go astray, He searches for and retrieves us. The parable demonstrates the love of God, His grace to forgive us when we sin, and His perseverance in pursuit of us. God’s love is abundant and carries us home when we are lost.

This is the common interpretation of the lost sheep parable. And it seems to make sense. The shepherd goes out and retrieves the lost sheep and places it on his shoulders. What a powerful image of God’s love for us!

Now, let’s see if our understanding changes once we start asking some questions. Let’s dig a bit deeper.

Who is Jesus addressing with this parable?

It is absolutely crucial to recognize to whom someone is speaking.

Imagine I am shopping at Walmart when a voice over the loudspeaker asks for the manager to go to the checkout counter. How silly would it be for me to head to the front of the store and announce that I have arrived? My behavior would indicate that I did not understand that they were speaking to the manager and not to me, a shopper.

In the same way, it is important to recognize who Jesus is speaking with: In Luke 15:4, it is the Pharisees.

It seems a common misconception when dealing with biblical texts is to think that God or Jesus is always speaking to us modern-day readers. If the context of the writings and the situations that are described are correctly understood, this mistake can be avoided.

So, Jesus speaks to the Pharisees by telling them a parable.

What is he addressing?

The Pharisees were grumbling and unhappy about Jesus eating with sinners and spending time with them. The parable aims to explain to the Pharisees why Jesus does not reject but instead welcomes sinners into His life.

Furthermore, if we read the parable accurately, several questions will jump out at us. Asking these questions will reveal a few key details that are often ignored:

Why are there ninety-nine sheep?

Ninety-nine is a large number, especially compared to the one lost sheep. The ninety-nine are left alone when the shepherd searches for the lost one. I wonder why that is mentioned…

What does the shepherd do with the lost sheep?

He places it on his shoulders and carries it home. He does not return it to the flock! I wonder what that means…

Where does the shepherd leave the flock?

He leaves the ninety-nine in the pasture or open country. That sounds like a safe place for sheep to be. But the shepherd never returns to them. I wonder why that is…

One thing I do to dig deeper and understand Jesus’ teachings even better is this: I look at the Greek text. The English version of this parable that I read in my bible is a translation, not the original language that was used when the author recorded Jesus’ words.

I like to use Biblehub.com to work with the Greek. I put Luke 15:1-7 in the search bar at the top, and then I see the English translation as well as the Greek words that are used:

πρόβατόν (probaton) - is sheep.

oἶκος (oikos) - is house or home and, by implication, it means family.

ἔρημος (eremos) – is pasture… oh, wait a second!

Eremos is NOT pasture! My bible says, ‘Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the pasture…,’ but once I look at the true meaning of the word, pasture is nowhere to be found! I thought the sheep were safe and munching on luscious grass in the absence of the shepherd, but this is not what the Greek text is telling me!

The sheep are not left in the safe pasture; instead, they are abandoned by the shepherd in the wilderness! Eremos is wilderness! This is not a safe place to be. It entails exposure to temptation and evil instead of safety. The land of eremos is barren, not luscious like that of a pasture. The sheep in eremos are in a state of desolation and abandonment.

Here is a fun fact: The word eremos is used 48 times in the New Testament. Every single time, it is translated correctly as wilderness – every single time except in this one instance.

Now, after having asked these questions and searched for answers, you may recognize that the popular interpretation which I shared at the beginning of this contemplation is in no way justifiable. To claim that I, as a follower of Christ, am one of the 99 sheep is to forget who Jesus is addressing. It is to disregard the purpose of Jesus’ words and ignore individual verses in an attempt to make it align with my preconceived notions.

So, what is Jesus' message to the Pharisees in Luke 15:1-7?

The Pharisees are unhappy that Jesus would eat with sinners, for they are deemed unrighteous. The Pharisees see themselves as favored by God since they think they have earned their place in His kingdom through their actions. But Jesus disagrees.

To the best of my understanding, I believe the Pharisees are the 99 sheep, convinced that they do not need repentance. Jesus, the shepherd, abandons those who think themselves sinless and instead seeks those who acknowledge their sins and wish to repent. He is looking for those willing to repent among the sinners and tax collectors, for, through faith, they are the actual remnants of God’s chosen people. Those unwilling to repent and change are abandoned in the desert to face temptation and darkness - possibly because trials can cause a change of heart.

Jesus seeks the sinner, who recognizes his sin and wishes to change. He carries him home to join the family.

After telling the parable, Jesus explains, ‘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.’

Who are these ninety-nine people who are not in need of repentance?

This is no easy question to answer. After all, Jesus’ teachings make it quite clear that all men need repentance (Matthew 4:17, Matthew 6:12, 2 Peter 3:9-13). So, the short answer is this: There is no one who is not in need of repentance.

However, looking back at the parable, we can draw some conclusions. There are ninety-nine sheep and ninety-nine righteous persons. They obviously are meant to depict the same group of people. Could Jesus be talking about the Pharisees when he says, ‘righteous persons who are not in need of repentance’?

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus exchanges very harsh words with Pharisees, calling them a brood of vipers, hypocrites, whitewashed tombs, and sons of hell (Matthew 3:7, 23:15, 23:27, 23:13). Clearly, He disagrees with their approach to faith. Could it then be that this final remark by Jesus is a sarcastic statement about the Pharisee's false belief that they are above repentance? I believe so. The ninety-nine are the Pharisees, and, in turn, the ninety-nine are the multitude who deny their need for repentance. The one sheep represents the true remnant that Yahweh keeps for Himself.

In conclusion, the common understanding of this parable depicts the followers of Christ as the ninety-nine sheep kept safe in the pasture as the shepherd retrieves the lost one and returns it.

After digging deeper, I find that this parable has completely changed its meaning. We placed it within the correct setting, we checked up on the translation, we respected all the details, and we asked questions.

This parable confronts the self-righteous Pharisees with a hard truth: They see themselves as not needing repentance and, in doing so, do not allow for a relationship with Yahweh, so they are left in the wilderness of chaos, darkness, and temptation. Instead of searching for the remnant of God’s chosen people among the Pharisees, Jesus will search among those most despised by the Pharisees: the sinners and tax collectors. When the remnant is found, he is not returned to the multitude but accepted into the family of God.

Finally, I have one last question: How does this apply to me?

If I go with the common understanding of this parable, I will be convinced that I am a sheep in the large flock of ninety-nine. By doing so, I become as a Pharisee: self-righteous and not needing repentance. I wait in the beautiful pasture as Jesus goes out to retrieve the sinners who are nothing like me.

With my new understanding, I am now warned by these sharp words of Jesus. I cannot allow myself to be like the Pharisees… and many are like them, for they are ninety-nine compared to only the one sinner who repents.

I want to be the one sheep who knows he is a sinner.

I want to be the one who, by all rights, should not be searched for.

For he is only ONE, and the shepherd leaves NINETY-NINE to find him.

And this new, deeper understanding of the parable that we have now acquired – this is why we must actively search and ask questions. Without asking, we cannot grow in understanding. Our knowledge of the world, people, and God will remain shallow, and we will be unable to change and grow.

Sources:

English translation with Greek words added - https://biblehub.com/luke/15-4.htm#lexicon

ἔρημος in NT - https://biblehub.com/greek/strongs_2048.htm, https://biblehub.com/greek/2048.htm

ἔρημος as pasture/open range in all major translations except NLT, KJV, NKJV, and ASV - https://biblehub.com/luke/15-4.htm