THE GOSPEL OF LUKE: - Vital Christianity

110Drifting—Sheep get lost easily as they drift from one place to another (Heb 2:1).Because sheep are by nature stupid, wayward and defenseless, it was necessarythat they have constant supervision. But they continually got lost.Ignoring—Most people are lost because they either drift or ignore the gospel.(Heb 2:3)What do these three parables teach us?Diligently Seeking or Patiently WaitingTHE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP (15:3-7)First, let us look at The Parable of the Lost Sheep:“Then Jesus told them this parable: ‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheepand loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open countryand go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfullyputs it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighborstogether and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell youthat in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinnerwho repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need torepent” (Lk 15:3-7).In the case of the lost sheep we see that the shepherd went out and looked all night untilhe found the sheep. Then he called his neighbors to rejoice with him, saying, “I have found mysheep.” In the same way God seeks out every foolish and lost sheep.To emphasize God’s gladness when people are found, He says that “there will be morerejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who donot need to repent” (v. 7). Here God’s concern and joy at the sinners’ repentance are set in starkcontrast to the attitude of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (v. 2). The ordinary peoplewho were not well acquainted with the Pharisaic interpretation of the law were called “thePeople of the Land.” The Pharisaic regulations taught that