The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Third Sunday after Trinity

Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 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. Does he not 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 who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:1-10).

The parables recorded in chapter 15 of Luke’s gospel are the heart of his account. They are the parables about finding lost things. The momentum of the book builds from here to Jesus’ declaration in chapter 19: The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Jesus is the shepherd who “repents” His lost sheep – He seeks them out and brings them back. Jesus is the woman who searches for and finds the lost coin. Jesus is the father of the lost son who brings him back from the dead and into the banquet. (Prange 1988) Jesus uses these three parables to identify Himself as God. He is the Good Shepherd. His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. He is the one, like the shepherd, the woman, and the father in the parable, who has come to seek and to save the lost. (Bailey 2014)

The parable of the lost sheep is a continuation of the good shepherd tradition, which goes back to Psalm 23, and appears throughout the writings of the prophets. (Bailey 2014) Physically, the shepherd is bringing back the sheep. Theologically, God is bringing back the sinner, causing him to repent. (Bailey 2014) As the shepherd searches, he calls the sheep. The sheep will recognize his shepherd’s unique voice and call. The sheep responds by calling back, by bleating; he also does not resist his master. The lost sheep accepts being found. (Bailey 2014) In this respect, the parable breaks down somewhat. We know from scripture that we have no capacity to aid in the search, as we are dead in our trespasses and sins. We are also, in our natural state, inclined toward evil and away from good. Until we are brought back, we have a bound will that always chooses, and delights in, evil.

Modern Bible translations often abstract the good shepherd imagery. The imagery of the shepherd was inspired by the Holy Spirit in the writers of the Bible because it is a real thing that people within the middle eastern culture were familiar with. Shepherds really do have to go after their lost sheep if they don’t want them to die; lost sheep hide themselves and bleat out of fear, rather than try and find their way back to the safety of the heard. If the shepherd doesn’t act quickly, time, exposure to the elements, or wild animals will kill the sheep. (Bailey 2014)

Repentance is not a work that man does. It is done to man by God. The Lord, Yahweh, my Good Shepherd, restores my soul.[1] He “repents me”, or turns me back, or converts my soul. (Bailey 2014)  The word used in Psalm 23:3 that the NIV translates “restores” is the Hebrew word “shuv”. It means to return, or to repent. Properly translated in this context it would read, “He brings me back,” or “He causes me to repent.” (Bailey 2014) Again, Jesus goes against the teaching of the ancient rabbis who taught that a righteous man shouldn’t associate with a sinner, even to bring him to repentance. The Pharisees, the shepherds of Israel, should be seeking out these lost sheep. Jesus tells them these three related parables to illustrate His point. He reiterates to them what He said while eating with Levi the tax collector: I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.[2] (Prange 1988)

Sheep are helpless and need constant attention; they are not capable of doing the things needed to take care of themselves. When they wander from the fold, they are unable to find their way back or to survive in the wilderness. They need the shepherd to come find and rescue them. We all like sheep, says Isaiah, have gone astray.[3] We require our Good Shepherd to rescue us, or we too will die, in the wilderness of sin, separated from God’s fold. The lost sheep is a small percentage of the flock, but still worth finding. How much more valuable to God are people? (Bailey 2014) We are so valuable that He sent His Son into the flesh to bear our sin, and be our savior, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

Jesus’ summary statement that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous person who do not need to repent may seem strange. It isn’t, however, that Jesus is saying there are people who don’t need to repent. The message of Christ and the apostles is, after all, “Repent, and believe the gospel.” This is a criticism of the self-righteous Pharisees who thought they were perfect and did not need to repent. (Prange 1988) Repentance is recognizing our sins and turning to God in faith, trusting in His mercy. It has two parts: contrition, or sorrow for your sins, and faith, or believing the message of the Gospel. That Gospel message is that our sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ, who died as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, and who rose from the dead for our justification; in Him we have eternal life. (McCain 2005)

The present life of the Christian is one of constant repentance as we struggle daily against our sinful nature that delights in sin. Our good works, which show our repentance and faith, are not part of our repentance. We don’t do good things to show how much we are repenting. Rather, after we repent, we begin doing good things. (McCain 2005) The Roman Church’s teaching about repentance is what sparked the Reformation. Luther was angered by Rome’s practice of selling Indulgences – that a person could buy the forgiveness of sins with money. This practice was directly contrary to God’s Word, which says we are saved from sin and death by the grace of God through faith in Christ. (McCain 2005)

The forgiveness of sins comes through faith in Christ. Confessional Lutherans condemn those who say that we must do works of satisfaction to earn forgiveness, or cancel some punishment we deserve because of our sins. Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the once for all sacrifice for sin. (McCain 2005) Since faith is a gift from God, how do we receive it? Faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the message of Christ. God the Holy Spirit works through the word of God to create faith in men’s hearts. Faith is no mere intellectual decision; it is the undeserved present created in us by the Holy Spirit, who uses the tools of word and sacrament to do His work. This is how Christ, our Good Shepherd, seeks His lost sheep and brings them back.

Bibliography

Bailey, Kenneth E. The Good Shepherd: A Thousand-Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 2014.

McCain, Paul T., et. al., eds. Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. A reader's edition of the Book of Concord. 1st. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2005.

Prange, Victor H. The People's Bible Commentary: Luke. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1988.

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[1] See Psalm 23:1-3

[2] See Luke 5:27-32

[3] See Isaiah 53:6

Jesus the True Shepherd

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:1-5).

Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the teachers of the Law at the end of chapter nine. He seems to direct His illustration at them. This is one of Jesus’ enigmatic sayings; on one level it is simple to understand.[1] The sheep are God’s people; the sheepfold represents the safety and rest of the Lord. The shepherd is the one who cares for and protects the sheep. But who are the thieves and robbers? In the context of the conversation it is clear; Jesus is referring, not simply to false Messiahs and those who teach false doctrine and scatter the people of God as a wolf scatters a flock.[2] Jesus is referring to those who have been legitimately put in charge of caring for the sheep, but have shirked their duties:

Some have thought that Jesus here refers to false Messiahs who had come before his time. But this is historically incorrect and also untrue to the figure. False Messiahs would be false doors to the fold not thieves and robbers who fight shy of ‘the door.’ When Jesus adds that these ‘are’ thieves and robbers he comes down to the present and includes the present Jewish leaders. All, past and present, ‘are’ self-seekers.[3]

When we apply the Berean Test[4] to Jesus’ message to the Jews in John chapter 10, it seems to be the same message spoken hundreds of years before by God to His people through the prophet Ezekiel:

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them... ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.[5]

We in the west do not have a good understanding of a Middle Eastern shepherd, or the relationship he has with his animals. The people listening to Jesus did. We might understand that the shepherd cares for his flock, but it is more than that. The idea that the sheep follow the shepherd because they know his voice might seem far-fetched. Kenneth Bailey, in his book, The Good Shepherd, explains that,

in the open wilderness of the Holy Land the shepherd walks slowly ahead of his sheep and either plays his own ten-second tune on a pipe or (more often) sings his own unique “call.” The sheep appear to be attracted primarily by the voice of the shepherd, which they know and are eager to follow. It is common practice for a number of shepherds to gather at midday around a spring or well, where the sheep mingle, drink and rest. At any time one of the shepherds can decide to leave, and on giving his call all his sheep will immediately separate themselves from the mixed flocks and follow their shepherd wherever he leads them.[6]

The Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Teachers of the Law were the thieves and robbers. Jesus is the True Shepherd, seeking out His sheep, delivering them from all the places where they were scattered. We are those sheep. We hear His voice through the proclamation of His Gospel; He causes us to recognize His voice in His Word, and we follow Him. Through His Word we receive the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, whether that Word comes to us through the preaching and absolution of our faithful pastor, whether connected to the waters of Holy Baptism, washing away the filth of our sins, or connected to the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper, in which we eat the true body and blood of Our Lord Jesus, given and shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins. Those who try to proclaim another gospel, or another Jesus, are false shepherds, eating the fat and clothing themselves with the wool. They are thieves and robbers, trying to climb up another way into the sheepfold.

Bibliography

Bailey, Dr. Kenneth E, interview by Rev. Todd Wilken. Jesus, the Good Shepherd (May 7, 2015).

Bailey, Dr. Kenneth E. The Good Shepherd: A Thousand-Year Journey From Psalm 23 To The New Testament. Kindle. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2014.

Engelbrecht, Rev. Edward A., ed. The Lutheran Study Bible. Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2009.

Lenski, R. C. H. The Interpretation of St. John's Gospel. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1942.

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[1] Enigmatic sayings: difficult teachings. E. A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible, English Standard Version (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House), 1775, 1801.

[2] R. C. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Gospel. (Columbus: The Wartburg Press), 716.

[3] ibid.

[4] Acts 17: 10-12

[5] Ezekiel 34: 1-4, 11-12

[6] Kenneth E. Bailey, The Good Shepherd: A Thousand-Year Journey From Psalm 23 to the New Testament (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press), 41-42, Kindle.

Glory in the Highest

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them (Luke 2:15-20).

So, you are a shepherd, and you are out in the fields doing what shepherds do – tending sheep. And, seemingly out of nowhere, God sends a host of angels to tell you and your companions about the birth of the Savior of the word. This is probably just as unexpected and strange to you as it is to those who read the account in Holy Scripture. Being a shepherd was difficult work. It was unpleasant, at least to the other members of the community who weren’t the ones who had to do it. Shepherds had to be out in the elements, staying away for long periods keeping watch for predators, and making sure the sheep were safe. Shepherds were somewhat isolated from the larger community; the very nature of their work necessitated this, and this was just fine with everyone. Shepherds were not despised, per se, but they weren’t exalted either. Shepherds were smelly and dirty, and people looked down on them because of their vocation. Kind of the way we might think of garbage men (No offense to garbage men intended; It’s not a job I’d want to do, even if they did pay me well). So, it is somewhat surprising that God would choose to make the public proclamation of the Messiah’s birth to a group of shepherds off in some fields away from everybody.

This isn’t the kind of thing we expect. It certainly isn’t what we would do, and doesn’t make sense according to human logic. The birth of the Messiah is a royal birth. This is David’s Son whom David would call, “Lord,” by whom David’s throne would be established forever. Royal births are not announced like this. Announcing Jesus’ birth this way would be akin to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, in announcing the birth of Prince George, posting the customary formal bulletin at the garage where the garbage trucks are parked, rather than on an easel outside Buckingham Palace. The Magi from the East expected King Herod to know about the birth of the King of the Jews. That’s why they went to Jerusalem to Herod’s palace to find out where the child was. But God has made it clear in His Word that He doesn’t operate according to the thinking of man: For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”[1]

Mary probably understood this attribute of God better than anyone. She understood that God operates in a way foreign to man’s thinking. We are impressed and fearful of the proud and mighty, but God scatters them, and puts them down from their thrones. God instead exalts the lowly, fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich away empty.[2] Scripture tells us that God has chosen the foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.[3] So God announces the arrival of the Messiah to foolish shepherds, rather than to proud and mighty kings. He comes to be with us in human flesh through the womb of the humble Virgin Mary, and is born not in a palace, but in a peasant’s home, and laid in a lowly manger. All of this is to accomplish the most unexpected thing of all: This Jesus lying in a manger – who is God, with us – will defeat the proud and mighty devil, and destroy sin and death once and for all in what the world would see as the most foolish and absurd way possible. He will die on a cross as a despised criminal, bearing your sin, and mine. For God made Jesus, who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.[4] Jesus’ death is the propitiation for our sin and the sin of the world;[5] He gave His life as a ransom for many.[6] After three days, He rose from the dead for our justification.[7] He did this for you and for me, while we were still sinners, before we had done anything to earn His favor. He did it because He loves us. How foolish! How illogical! How wonderful! Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out![8]

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[1] Isaiah 55:8-9

[2] Luke 1:46-55

[3] 1 Corinthians 1:27

[4] 2 Corinthians 5:21

[5] 1 John 2:2

[6] Mark 10:45

[7] Romans 4:25

[8] Romans 11:33