The Parable Of The Lost Sheep

Matthew 18:10-14

 

“Take Heed that YOU (Believers) do NOT Despise One of These Little Ones, for I (Jesus Christ) SAY to YOU (Believers), that in Heaven, Their (Believers) Angels (God Almighty’s Holy Angels), ALWAYS SEE, The Face of My (Jesus Christ’s) Father (God Almighty), Who is in Heaven.  For The Son of Man (Jesus Christ) has COME to SAVE, that which was LOST (Mankind).  “What do YOU (Believers) 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?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I (Jesus Christ) SAY to YOU (Believers), he rejoices more, over that sheep, than over the ninety-nine that did NOT go astray.  Even so, it is NOT The Will of Your (Believers) Father (God Almighty), Who is in Heaven, that ONE (Unbelievers) of These Little Ones should PERISH.

Luke 15:1-7

Then All The Tax Collectors and The Sinners DREW NEAR to Him (Jesus Christ) to HEAR Him (Jesus Christ).  And The Pharisees and Scribes complained, saying, “This Man (Jesus Christ) RECEIVES Sinners and eats with Them (Sinners).”  So, He (Jesus Christ) SPOKE This Parable to them, SAYING:  “What man of YOU, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does NOT leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’  I (Jesus Christ) SAY to YOU (Believers), that likewise, there will be MORE JOY in Heaven, over One Sinner (Believers) who REPENTS, than over Ninety-Nine JUST PERSONS, who need NO Repentance.

Fellow Believers, so much is REVEALED in these two descriptions of the same parable, “The Parable of The Lost Sheep.”

First, We (Believers) look at The TRUE Meaning of This Parable:

“What do YOU (Believers) think?  If a Man (Jesus Christ) has a Hundred Sheep (Mankind), and ONE (Unbelievers) of Them (Mankind) goes astray, does He (Jesus Christ) NOT leave The Ninety-Nine (Believers) and go to The Mountains to SEEK The ONE (Unbelievers), that is STRAYING?  And if He (Jesus Christ) should FIND IT (Unbelievers), assuredly, I (Jesus Christ) SAY to YOU (Believers), He (Jesus Christ) REJOICES More, over That SHEEP (Unbeliever, which became a Believer), than over The Ninety-Nine (Believers), that did NOT go astray.”

“What Man (Jesus Christ) of YOU (Believers), having a Hundred Sheep (Mankind), if He (Jesus Christ) LOSES ONE (Unbelievers) of Them, does NOT leave The Ninety-Nine (Believers) in the wilderness, and GO after The One (Unbelievers) which is LOST, until He (Jesus Christ) FINDS IT (Unbelievers)?  And when He (Jesus Christ) has FOUND IT (Unbelievers), He (Jesus Christ) LAYS IT (Unbelievers) on His (Jesus Christ’s) Shoulders, REJOICING.  And when He (Jesus Christ) Comes HOME (The Kingdom of God Almighty), He (Jesus Christ) CALLS Together His (Jesus Christ’s) Friends and (Jesus Christ’s) Neighbors, SAYING to Them, ‘REJOICE with Me (Jesus Christ), for I (Jesus Christ) have FOUND My (Jesus Christ’s) SHEEP (Unbeliever, which became a Believer), which was LOST!’”

Now, We (Believers) look at The REACTION in Heaven:

“For I (Jesus Christ) SAY to YOU (Believers), that in Heaven, Their (Believers) Angels (God Almighty’s Holy Angels), ALWAYS SEE, The (God Almighty’s) Face of My (Jesus Christ’s) Father (God Almighty), Who is in Heaven.”

“I (Jesus Christ) SAY to YOU (Believers), that likewise, there will be MORE JOY in Heaven, over One Sinner (Believers) who REPENTS, than over Ninety-Nine JUST PERSONS, who need NO Repentance.”

Next, We (Believers) look at God Almighty’s AND Jesus Christ’s Motive:

It is NOT, The Will of Your (Believers) Father (God Almighty), Who is in Heaven, that ONE (Unbelievers) of These Little Ones (Unbelievers) should PERISH!

“For The Son of Man (Jesus Christ) has COME to SAVE, that which was LOST (Mankind)!”

So, who are “Lost Sheep”, well, They are Yet-To-Be-Believers and Unbelievers (i.e. People who have NOT acknowledged God’s Amazing Grace NOR accepted God’s Free Gift of Salvation).  Once someone acknowledges God’s Amazing Saving Grace AND accepts God’s Free Gift of Salvation, that person becomes a Believer, and is NO longer “LOST”.  Think of it this way, God Almighty, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, and God Almighty’s Holy Angels, ALL want EVERYONE to become Children (Believers) of God Almighty.  However, neither They (God Almighty, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, and God Almighty’s Holy Angels) nor Fellow Believers are naïve enough, to think that EVERONE will, because NOT everyone will, unfortunately.

As Our Lord Jesus Christ’s LIGHT upon The World, it’s Believers Cross to Bear, to Share The Gospel of Jesus Christ with EVERYONE, remember Jesus Christ does NOT want even ONE Person, to be LOST (Unbelievers)!  Do NOT fear, YOU (Believers) have God Almighty, Jesus Christ, The Holy Spirit, and God Almighty’s Holy Angels, backing YOU (Believers) up!  So, They have Got Your Back, Always!  Amen.