The beloved physician Luke wrote about Jesus, “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners, and eats with them. And he spoke this parable unto them, saying, ...”, and in chapter fifteen and verse four of his book Luke wrote how Jesus asked, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness?” where we read:
What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
The verse reads, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, ...” Luke began with the words, “what man of you” or “what person whether male or female belonging to the crowd or multitude”, “having a hundred sheep” which means “who owns, holds and possesses one hundred four footed, tame animal accustomed to graze”, “if he lose one of them” or “when the person has lost a single one of the sheep”. Luke shared how Jesus presented the beginning of a question concerning losing “one sheep” when any person “owns” one hundred of them.
The verse continues, “... does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” Luke added the words, “does not leave” or “does not abandon, forsake and disregard” “the ninety and nine” which means “the ninety nine other sheep” “in the wilderness” or “within the solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited and desert area”, “and go after that which is lost” which means “and pursue on a journey, depart and continue on a walk toward the lost sheep”, “until he find it” or “till the time when the person comes upon, discovers and knows where the sheep is”? Luke shared how Jesus continued His question by asking which person among the people in the crowd would not “leave” their other “ninety nine sheep” within a deserted place to travel until they “discover” where the lost one sheep is.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn a wonderful principle within the Kingdom of God. Like the shepherd who looks for their “lost sheep”, God surveys the world looking for those who do not have a personal relationship with Him. He pursues them because He loves them, and His desire is for them to believe and trust in His Son Jesus as their “Savior and Lord” so He may forgive their sins and grant them everlasting life. Those who are wise will carefully consider Jesus' story of the “lost sheep”, and should they be “lost” in the world, let them yield their lives to Him and be found.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus says when the shepherd, “found it, he lays it on his shoulders”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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