Church History: 1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"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? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I 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.
In this parable Christ compares sinners to sheep going astray, and God the Father to a tender and careful shepherd seeking his stray sheep; wherein he secretly criticizes the Pharisees for their uncharitableness in censuring him for conversing with publicans and sinners, and for their envy at the recovery of such sinners by repentance; assuring them, that they are far from the feeling of the holy angels, who rejoice more at the news of one notorious sinner's conversion, than for many righteous persons who did not go astray; like a father is touched with a more sensible joy for the recovery of one son who was dangerously sick, than for the health of all the rest who were in no such danger.
The creature's aberration may serve for our instruction; the sheep's straying away from us, should put us in mind of our wandering away from God.
Christ the Great Shepherd of his church, with vigilance and care, seeks up and finds out his lost sheep, and will never give over his search until he has found them.
The recovery of one lost sinner by repentance, is a matter of exceeding joy and rejoicing to Christ the Great Shepherd, and to all the blessed company of heaven5
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