Where are you in the parable?

Luke 15:1-7 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 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. Doesn't he 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 righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Keywords: tax collector, Pharisees/teachers of the law, sheep

Tax collectors fall under the title of the publican. The Romans created the office to assist in collecting taxes in the provinces. These individuals were held in low esteem because they would over-tax the citizens for more profit.[1]

The Pharisees are one of three groups of the Sanhedrin in place to uphold the law.[2] They were part of the oral traditions maintaining a belief in predestination, angels and spirits, and resurrection.[3] They were the largest and most influential religious-political party in the New Testament.[4]

In 2023 a sheep would cost between $300 to $400 depending on the breed, gender, and age. A herd of one hundred is equal to $30,000 to $40,000. [5] In terms of the Bible, sheep symbolize people without leadership.[6] In the above parable, Jesus is contrasting his loving care of the sheep to the Pharisees behaving as thieves and robbers.[7]

Jesus is teaching a crowd. The Pharisees approached to reprimand him for the company that he surrounds himself with. He offers a parable about a lost sheep. The shepherd leaves the larger group to search for the one missing. He is grateful to find the sheep alive. The sheep represents a sinner that has strayed from God.

There are times when each of us can put ourselves in each place. Where are you today? Are you the sheep? Shepherd? Flock of ninety-nine? Join the flock of ninety-nine and bring about the rejoicing in Heaven.

Bibliography

Butler, Trent C. "Sheep" in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

https://familyfarmlivestock.com

"Pharisee" in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

"Publican" in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

Scott, Jr., J. Julius. Jewish Background of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1995.

[1] “Publican”, in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1319-1320. [2] J. Julius Scott, Jr. Jewish Background of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1995), 94. [3] Ibid., 172. [4] “Pharisees”, in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1259. [5] https://familyfarmlivestock.com. [6] Trent C. Butler. “Sheep”, in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1447-1448. [7] Ibid., 1448.