At the time in which Jesus walked on this earth, the majority of people lived a rural life connected with the land and animals. This is one of the reasons Jesus' parables and teachings are filled with discussions of soil, harvest, cattle, sheep, etc. In Luke 15:1-7, Jesus once again uses an agrarian reference to illustrate a fundamental spiritual truth.
When Jesus was on earth, his ministry attracted the lowest of the low. Verse one of Luke 15 says, "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near him."
Tax collectors were some of the most hated people in Israel because they were viewed as collaborators with the occupying Roman overlords. The sinners spoken of would have been prostitutes, adulterers, the ritually impure, and those whose choices had at one time taken them far away from the things of God. These were the ones attracted to the ministry of Jesus. Jesus accepted and cared about those who were the outcasts and the despised of society. Jesus came with a message of hope, forgiveness, and repentance. He didn't come into the world to condemn the world. He came to seek and to save the lost. The people recognized that Jesus cared and wasn't standing in judgment over them. They accepted His message and listened to His teachings.
Of course, like always, this enraged the religious leaders of Jesus' day. They preached a message that certain people were too sinful or too impure to ever be acceptable to God. They preached a message of exclusion not a message of inclusion. They hated the fact that the people loved Jesus and responded to His message thus weakening their authority. The religious leaders ridiculed Jesus and His teachings constantly.
Jesus knowing the hearts of these religious leaders told them a parable about a lost sheep. A shepherd was responsible for a flock of 100 sheep. As all good shepherds do, this shepherd did his count to make sure all were present and accounted for. When the shepherd finished counting, he noticed that one of the sheep was missing. As a good shepherd, he left the 99 in the field and went off diligently searching for the sheep that was lost.
Jesus said that when that lost sheep was found, the shepherd placed the sheep on his shoulders and returned rejoicing. That, Jesus said, is what happens when a single lost soul returns to the fold of God. The angels in Heaven rejoice with Jesus Christ the Savior who is the good shepherd of the sheep.
I've never had any sheep to get lost, but I've always had dogs until just last year. Once, my family had a big Rottweiler named Abraham and a few collies. One day after we got back from a family activity, Abraham was missing. The other dogs were safe, and we were glad, but the whole family immediately began to canvass the area to find the wayward Rottweiler.
Thankfully, we found him sitting under a shade tree watching one of the neighbors work on his car. We were glad to find the old boy safe and sound since we all loved him so much.
The Lord is always out looking for those who have strayed from the fold. I believe this is true in two different ways. First of all, Jesus is seeking those who have never put their faith in Him and repented of their sins. Jesus said that He didn't want anyone to be lost. It is the Lord's will that everyone, and I mean everyone, comes to repentance and knows what it means to be a part of the family of God. Jesus is always calling the lost sheep home, and He expects us to help Him by spreading the message of the Gospel.
Second, Jesus is looking to bring back those who have placed their faith in Him, but for various reasons, they have left the fold and fallen back into a life of sinful behaviors. Jesus wants the backslider to come back home and get back on the straight and narrow path that leads to life.
And let me say, it doesn't matter who you are or what you may have done; Jesus is searching for you. He wants to bring you back to the fold. He wants you to cease your wandering and let Hm be the good shepherd to you that He longs to be. As the old preachers I heard as a boy used to say, "There is no sinner that God cannot save."
Another important point of this parable is not to look down on people the way the pharisees did. We should be delighted when anyone wants to hear the message of Jesus. We should never discourage anyone from coming to church to hear the good news because they're not the kind of people we think belong in church.
Also, I'm always amazed at the different reaction sinners had to Jesus as opposed to their reaction to the church today. The down and out and the sinners wanted to be with Jesus, but most don't want to come near the church or church people. I believe this is because Jesus preached a message of hope and not condemnation. So much of the preaching that goes on in evangelical churches today is just the constant slamming of sinners or a right-wing political message. People begin to feel downgraded and don't see the love of Jesus.
I've always believed that if we preach the love of Jesus that people will come to Jesus, grow to love Him more and more, and because of this love, they will want to follow His commandments and will for their lives.
Today, if you've strayed from the fold of God, Jesus wants you to come back. He wants to bring you back through His love and mercy. I hope that you will let Him do it today. Amen.
P.S.---There are two interesting passages of Scripture you might like to read. John 10 tells the characteristics of a good shepherd. Ezekiel 34 describes a bad shepherd. These are well worth studying. May God bless you.
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