First Mennonite Church
Sunday, November 16, 2025
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Text: Matthew 18:10-14
This parable also appears in Luke 15. And, there are slight differences between Matthew’s and Luke’s account and purposes for this parable. (Read also Luke 15:1-7).
For our information, this parable also appears in the Gospel of Thomas. There, according to Bible scholars, the sheep that goes astray is “the most beautiful, fatted one, and most loved by the shepherd.” That explains the shepherd’s apparent disregard for the other ninety-nine he leaves in the desert. Thomas’ gospel gnostic tendencies are clearly present in his version of this parable. The gnostic elitism toward those considered “enlightened ones” who for some reason abandon the circle are worth the sacrifice of leaving the common and unenlightened members in order to bring them back.
This should remind us that the Gospels were not written for the mere sake of preserving the memory of Jesus’ life alive. The gospels were written to address real-life situations and needs within the early communities of Jesus’ followers. Each writer organized and used the teachings of Jesus for a particular purpose.
Therefore, as we can see in Matthew’s gospel, this parable is sandwiched between Jesus’ teaching about the importance of caring for the “little ones,” and the step-by-step process of restoring the church member who has fallen to sin—the sheep gone astray. The “little ones” are those who are new to the faith and those whose faith is not yet strong. These are vulnerable to stumbling and falling; therefore, the special need within the church to care for them. Thus, with this goal in mind, Matthew ascribes to Jesus the context in which he tells this parable and the words he uses when telling it.
In the context of Luke, Jesus was under severe criticism by the Pharisees and the Scribes. They were complaining about his association and eating with sinners and tax collectors (15:1). Therefore, Luke also ascribes the wording Jesus used when telling the parable.
Jesus was having a conversation and teaching session with his disciples on how to deal with those who leave the fellowship of believers. Therefore, Matthew places this parable within the context of Jesus’ teaching about the church (chapters 16, 18). It must have been that when Matthew wrote his gospel, the communities he was addressing it to were experiencing desertion from some of its members. So, Matthew places the parable where Jesus speaks about caring for the little ones. Its purpose is to give instructions to the early church leaders (and to church leaders of all times) on how Jesus wants them to provide care for new Christian converts who are not yet well-rooted in Jesus’ teachings or for those who are still wandering or are unsettled in the faith. The “little ones” are the spiritually vulnerable within the Christian community. These, Jesus says, “Be careful that you do not look down on the little ones. I say to you that their angels in heaven are always looking into the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
There are a couple of important things Jesus is saying here. First, that those who are weak within the faith community have “guardian angels” assigned to them and who are keenly watching the kind of treatment the little ones are given. And secondly, that their angels are high ranking angels who abide closest to the Father in heaven and who “are continually seeing the face of God” on behalf of the little ones.
With this introduction Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew.
In Luke, as I mentioned earlier, Jesus was being accused of having fellowship with people not deemed worthy to his rank or dignity. Tax collectors and sinners are left to their own fate and were considered unworthy of going after by the religious leaders of their time. Therefore, in the parable the good shepherd goes off looking and searching for those abandoned and uncared for “until he has found” them. Here in Luke, the shepherd does not stop looking and searching, but only “until he has found the lost sheep.” Once he finds the lost sheep, he celebrates with friends and neighbors. “In the same way, heaven rejoices when a sinner turns around to God.” Jesus become the good shepherd in contrast to those who were accusing him of having fellowship with tax collectors and sinners.
In Matthew, Jesus begins the parable with a question: “What do you think?” This is a hint that he expects his disciples to agree with the situation when dealing with the “little ones” who are like the lost sheep in the parable.
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?
Here, the sheep wanders away. One of the “little ones” chooses not to continue in the fellowship, either because someone made him/her stumble, or still does not comprehend the gospel message and the fullness of God’s love, or has doubts, or is dealing with internal or external pressures; thus, he/she decides not to continue and abandons the fellowship. The situation here is that the believer leaves the fellowship and goes back to the world of the lost.
The problem of Christians abandoning the fellowship has been one the church has experienced throughout the ages. That is why the New Testament author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes: Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable. And, let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25, CEB).
According to this parable, Jesus expects the pastor, church leaders and all church members to be vigilant of those who leave and forsake the fellowship. Jesus expects that once the pastor notices that one in the sheepfold is missing that he or she would go after the missing sheep.
But here is the difference between Luke’s and Matthew’s wordings. In Luke the shepherd goes and does not stop but “until he has found” the lost sheep. In Matthew, Jesus says, “And IF he finds it.” This suggests that there will be times when even after doing everything to bring back the “lost sheep” it is possible that the sheep will not want to come back. This suggests that pursuing to restore the lost sheep, the wandering member, should be done regardless of the outcome. Not always will the pastoral effort of restoring the wandering church member will succeed.
As your pastor, I tell you, I have grieved over the many who have left us. There are those who leave us because the move away. But the most painful ones for me are from those who simply stop coming regardless every attempt I made to bring them back. I have visited them or called them, texted them, or emailed them and at first, they would answer my texts but then go silent.
Once, someone told Lilian that I did not stop calling her, which although initially I may have called her only once every other month. Lilian reminded her that it is my duty to reach out to church members and therefore the reasons for my calls. I was afraid I might get a restraining order!
Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep, which might not be found is even reflected in the following teaching he gave after this parable.
In Matthewv13:15-17, Jesus says, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
That means that just as Jesus engaged and had fellowship with pagans and tax collectors, we should continue reaching out to those who choose not to listen.
Let us remain in the sheepfold of the Lord and not go astray. And whenever we see anyone lagging behind or drifting away, let us find ways to encourage them to strengthen their limp hands and weak knees, as we are called to do in Hebrews 12:12. And again in verse 15, we are commanded to: Make sure that no one misses out on God’s grace. Each of us has the obligation to encourage one another, especially the little ones among us. Looking after the little ones is a pastoral call and by pastoral call I mean, the task of caring for one another.
Jesus closes the parable by saying: In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. And although there will be times that the sheep gone astray will not want to come back, it is not God’s desire that anyone should be lost.
I want to invite you to fervently pray for one another, that no one be left uncared for. Let us connect with those who are inconstant and lagging behind. Let us make every effort to restore those who might be missing out on God’s grace. We are the sheep of the Lord and the fold of his pasture. Amen!
Pastor Romero