The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Matthew 18: 12-14

A shepherd in charge of 100 sheep notices that one of his sheep has gone astray. What do you think he should do? Should the shepherd leave the flock on the hills unguarded to search for the lost sheep? God's shepherd goes to look for that one lost sheep, and when he finds her, he is happier about her return than he is about the 99 who stayed put. Your Father in heaven does not want a single one of the tripped, waylaid, stumbling little ones to be lost. (The Voice)

12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. (NIV)

12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (NKJV)

Okay, here we can clearly see that the Shepherd, who is God, is crazy. He appears to be willing to sacrifice all of His sheep to save ONE LOST ONE, and that he is happier about the one He finds than all his "loyal" sheep.

God is either a crappy, insane shepherd or an amazing, loving, very thorough God.

Luke 15: 3-7

Wouldn't every one of you, if you have 100 sheep and lose one, leave the 99 in their grazing lands and go out searching for the lost sheep until you find it? When you find the lost sheep, wouldn't you hoist it up on your shoulders, feeling wonderful? And when you go home, wouldn't you call together your friends and neighbors? Wouldn't you say, come over and celebrate with me, because I've found my lost sheep. This is how it is in heaven. They're happier over one sinner who changes his way of life than they are over 99 good and just people who don't need to change their ways of life. (the Voice)

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. (NIV)

3And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

4What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (KJV)

Okay, now, many people who do not hold to the eventual salvation of all, will try and claim that people need to repent and stop sinning to get into heaven, and that's a wonderful, fun debate for another time. What I am more interested in is focusing on the Shepherd here.

Notice how it is not the SHEEP who turns back to God, but God who grabs the sheep and puts it on His shoulders and takes the little one home. Free will? Looks like election, only ALL are elected. We have the sheep who are good, and the sheep who is bad, and God goes out, grabs that bad sheep and takes it HOME. The lost sheep has NO choice.

And there was much rejoicing.

We have every right to reject God, but as Gulley and Mulholland say in If Grace is True: Why God Will Save Every Person, God has an even higher right to reject our rejection.

When the infinite refuses the rejection of the finite, who wins? My money's on the Lord.