Luke 15,1-7
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?
5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
Then I read the Chinese translation later. After that, we start with the following:
Hello everyone, I am Kiki. The Chinese name of our second phase of the program is “读经大讲堂”. The English name is “Bible Study.”
We will adopt a relaxed and enjoyable learning mode to take you into a new learning world. Each time, I will make a personal summary and analysis from the perspective of a learner, and then Sister Ingrid will help me conduct in-depth learning and discussions with everyone.
I hope that such an interesting and interactive process can bring a new learning experience to all of you. The following is my interview with Sister Ingrid on related topics. Today is the 42nd lecture on the Gospel of Luke.
Everyone is welcome to leave a message in the comment section for discussion!
2. My summary of the 42nd study of Luke:
Therefore, if you feel like a lost sheep—you have made mistakes—remember: God is looking for you. When you say sorry and turn back to Him, He will be happy. He will celebrate. That is God’s love.
Now, let Sister Ingrid give a more in-depth summary.
3. Sister’s comment on my study summary:
When I read the text, it stood out to me that the sinners came to Jesus to hear Him, but the religious leaders criticized Jesus for eating with them. They thought the sinners were only seeking material benefits and not the salvation of their souls.
The same can happen today when we are criticized by religious people who do not have a relationship with God. They think we are looking for material things, rather than fellowship with the Lord and getting to know Him better each day.
The ninety-nine were left in the desert, and it seemed to them a safe place, because none of them followed the Good Shepherd when he went to search for the lost sheep. They felt safe in their group and, in the end, had no need for a shepherd.
The Bible text does not say why the sheep was lost. Maybe it did not feel comfortable in the group anymore and felt hungry, wanting to eat grass instead of standing with many other sheep in a desert place. Maybe it did not notice that the others were moving on and failed to follow them. We have no clear information about this.
But we do know that the shepherd, even though he still had a large flock, noticed that one sheep was missing, and he went to search for it until he found it.
Then comes the surprising part: He does not punish it for losing its way or tell it to go back to the others. Instead, he lifts it onto his shoulders and carries it home—not back to the desert where the others were still outside.
At home, he calls his friends and neighbors to celebrate with him. Jesus concludes the parable by explaining that there will be the same joy in heaven over one sinner who repents as there is not over ninety-nine who think they do not need repentance.
4. Q list part: based on the 42nd study of Luke:
Okay, based on the Bible study content above, let me now ask Sister Ingrid some related questions.
We hope the following questions can be helpful to our brothers and sisters.
- Who wanted to listen to Jesus?
People of low social status: tax collectors, prostitutes, and all kinds of sinners. - Why were the Pharisees angry at Jesus?
Because he shared meals with them and ate with them. - If you lost one sheep out of 100, would you go look for it?
Normally, we would not look for one sheep when we still have many others. - How did the shepherd feel when he found the lost sheep?
He rejoiced and was happy. - What did the shepherd do with the sheep after finding it?
He carried it home and celebrated. - Who did the shepherd invite to celebrate with him?
His friends and neighbors. - Who makes heaven happier: one sinner who repents or 99 good people?
One sinner who repents. - Why did the Pharisees think they didn’t need to repent?
Because they considered themselves righteous. - What does this story teach us about God’s love?
God’s love is for everyone, especially for those who repent. - Have you ever been happy when someone said sorry and changed?
Yes. I was discriminated against by a religious person because I was like the lost sheep who repented and experienced God’s love.
He did not greet me in the street and made it clear that he did not accept people like me. But one day, he stood outside my house with a gift, apologized, and stopped discriminating against me. Now everything is fine.
At the time when he discriminated against me, he was also like a lost sheep, but it took him time to recognize that he needed repentance—just like all people on earth.
