Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.  Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”  So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he call together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!”  I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  Luke 15:1-7, New American Standard Bible

          All of the Savior’s questions deserve careful consideration and an answer.  And what IS the answer to His question?  First, we should note that the question implies that there IS a man among them who will go and search for his lost sheep, or His question would have been:  IS there a man among you…  If you have spiritual eyes to see, Jesus the Good Shepherd is that man!

          Secondly, notice that the blame for the missing sheep is laid upon the man, not upon the sheep.  It is not the dumb sheep who has gone and gotten himself lost; instead, it is the man who has lost his sheep!  However, we do not wish to offend any Arminians, and so we will agree that the sheep used his free will to wander off, although admittedly the passage does not say so.  All the passage says is that the sheep “is lost.”  But we wish to emphasize that the Good Shepherd has a will, also–a greater will, a driving will, a sacrificial will, one that will not rest until the missing sheep is found!  Praise you, Lord!

          At this point it is very important to note that the Good Shepherd in our parable leaves 99 sheep in the open pasture.  These 99 have what they need:  safety, fellowship, and food–all that is attendant to open pasture.  We must ask, Why does the missing sheep not come to the pasture?  Surely it is because the missing sheep does not know the way!  Perhaps it is academic because in any event the Good Shepherd is not waiting to be accompanied by a delegation from the 99 sheep to go and find the lost one.

          Notice also that the parable makes it clear that the last missing sheep will be found, for the Savior uses “when” and not “if”.  In our view, this passage is about the restoration of all things by our Messiah who wills that all men be saved, and who will not “rest” until it is accomplished!

          And what happens when the missing sheep is found?  Some preachers have said that the shepherd will sometimes break the leg of the wayward sheep to increase its dependence upon the shepherd.  We do not see that in this passage, nor have we experienced it in our own life.  Rather, it is our experience that the lost sheep is delighted to be carried in the loving arms of the Good Shepherd who is rejoicing over the nearness of the missing sheep, and we bless the Lord for this sweet time of togetherness!  After the repentance, let the fellowship begin!

          During David’s reign, God moved him to seek out the descendants of Jonathan, to fulfill the covenant he had made with Jonathan pertaining to when he, David, would become king. (1 Samuel 18:3, 1 Samuel 23:18)  In the beautiful story of Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, we see a fore-shadowing and type of how the Son of David would treat the missing sheep.  We pick up the story in 2 Samuel 9.

The king (David) said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?”  And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.”  So the king said to him, “Where is he?”  And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-Debar.”  Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-Debar.  2 Samuel 9:3-5, New American Standard Bible

           Jonathan made this covenant with David because, as the scripture says, he loved David “with his own life.”  One cannot help but notice the similarity with Jesus, who has loved us all with His own life!   It is in David, however, the shepherd/king sets the prophetic pattern.  Notice that he seeks to show the kindness of God to the house of his enemy.  It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance, according to Romans 2:4.  Although David the king would be justified in bringing judgment upon the descendants of his enemy, that is NOT the kindness of God!  And how does God treat His enemies?  In exactly the same way He has taught us to treat our enemies in Matthew 5:44:  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven…  For this fulfills the entire law of God, in one statement:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 

          In fact, it is the expectation that the king will exact retribution and judgment upon Saul’s house that causes all of Saul’s servants to flee in terror.  Mephibosheth, who was just a small child of five at the time, had no say whatsoever in the matter.  It was NOT Mephibosheth that fled in terror, but others upon whom in the providence of God he depended.  In their haste to flee the wrath of the king, Mephibosheth was dropped on his head, resulting in paralysis in both feet.  (2 Samuel 4:4)  All his life, he has lived in fear of the wrath of the king whom he has been told to fear.  But do you notice that even if he wanted to, Mephibosheth is unable to come to the king; instead he must be brought, for he is crippled in both feet! 

          Mephibosheth, as a missing sheep, is separated from the king who desires to show him the kindness of God.  The shepherd/king takes the initiative to locate him and says, “Where is he?”  And it  is here, that we find the indisputable evidence of the foreshadowing.  Mephibosheth is in Lo-Debar, which being translated means “no pasture” or “without pasture” (Strong’s Concordance H3810).  Mephibosheth is not in the open pasture; instead, he is lost in “no pasture” living out his days under the mistaken understanding, given to him by others, that the king desires only his death. 

          Finally, when brought to the king’s presence, he is given food from the king’s own table and his inheritance is restored.  Thus we see that there is rejoicing by the missing sheep AND by his shepherd.  We candidly do not see vengence, retribution or destruction in these verses; rather, we see a cause for great praise for the shepherd/king who loved us with his life, and who has sought us out and carried us, each and individually, upon his shoulders with rejoicing and fellowship to the inheritance we thought had long ago been taken from us forever.

Blessed are you, O Lord.  Our wonderful God, you are the king of forever!  Blessing, honor, glory and power belongs to you for the ages, for you have not rested until you have found the last missing sheep, whom you have loved just as much as the first missing sheep.  There is no one like you, Lord!

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