That Which Was Lost

THE parables of The Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin were addressed specifically to the scribes and Pharisees, but within the hearing of “the publicans and sinners” who drew near “for to hear him.” (vss. 1-3) The scribes and Pharisees murmured because Jesus received sinners and ate with them, and it was their attitude which gave rise to these two parables.

In the parable of The Lost Sheep we are told of a shepherd who had a hundred sheep, ninety-nine of which were safely in the fold, but one had gone astray and was lost. The parable shows that the shepherd under such circumstances would leave the ninety-nine, “and go after that which is lost, until he find it.”—vs. 4

As a rebuke to the attitude of the scribes and Pharisees, the application of this lesson is obvious. These religious leaders of Israel considered themselves to be in harmony with God and therefore safe within the fold of divine care. To them the publicans and sinners were outside the pale of God’s blessings, and were “lost,” yet they were doing little or nothing to find and rescue them, and murmured against Jesus when he showed an interest in them.

On another occasion, and for the same reason, the scribes and Pharisees questioned the propriety of Jesus’ eating with publicans and sinners, and “when Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17) The sinners being called to repentance in this lesson would correspond to the lost sheep of the parable.

Actually, the scribes and the Pharisees were as much “lost” as were the publicans. Outwardly they made professions of holiness, but inwardly they were filled “with dead men’s bones,” and were hypocritical in most of their professions. (Matt. 23:16-33) However, the lesson of the parable was based upon the professions of this hypocritical class, not what they actually were. They claimed to be the shepherds of Israel, but showed little concern for those who had gone astray, and they resented it when Jesus displayed interest in these “lost” sheep.

The parable clearly sets forth the divine attitude toward those who are lost in sin and condemned to death. That attitude is one of sympathy and love which is reflected in that most precious text, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) And this love was demonstrated toward us “while we were yet sinners.” (Rom. 5:8) Paul wrote that “Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”—I Tim. 1:15

Since this is the loving attitude of our Heavenly Father and of Jesus toward those not yet within their special fold of divine care, it should be ours also. We should shun the attitude of the scribes and Pharisees, and make ourselves available to assist the “lost” and needy ones in the world around us. We do not need to lose interest in our brethren who are safely within the fold in order to seek and help the lost, but our love should be extended beyond those who love us.—Matt. 5:46-48

In applying this general lesson of the parable, we do not need to make a specific application of the proportion of those in the fold to the lost sheep, which is ninety-nine to one. The reverse of this has been more nearly true, for the vast majority of mankind in all ages have not been among those safe in the fold of special divine care. Even within the nation of Israel at the time of our Lord, the publicans and sinners doubtless outnumbered those who made serious professions of endeavoring to be pleasing to God.

The ratio of the professed righteous to the sinners, however, could have been the Master’s way of driving this lesson home with greater force. The thought would be that even though there was only one lost sheep, those who really loved the Lord and desired to be guided by his spirit of love could not be content until that sheep was found and brought back to the fold. This is the principle which should guide all the Lord’s people.

There is also a possible further meaning of the parable, based on the fact that in many respects the nation of Israel was typical of all mankind. We might think of the lost sheep as representing God’s entire human creation, while the ninety-nine sheep which did not go astray could represent the many orders of creation who remained in harmony with God, among these the holy angels, and the “principalities and powers, … and every name that is named.”—Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16

In this view, Jesus would be the Good Shepherd, the representative of Jehovah, the Great Shepherd. (Ps. 23:1) The work of recovering the lost sheep began at our Lord’s first advent. Here Jesus left the “ninety and nine”—the various orders of heavenly hosts—and came to earth “to seek and to save” the lost sheep. (Luke 19:10) This required that he be made flesh, and that he give his flesh, his humanity, in sacrifice for the sins of the world. (Heb. 2:9,14; John 1:14; 6:51) This phase of Jesus’ rescue mission has already been accomplished. The lost sheep has been “found,” so to speak, but is not yet restored to the fold of the Creator’s favor and care.

When created perfect, man not only had the opportunity to live forever in what would have become a world-wide paradise, but he was also given dominion over all of God’s lower earthly creatures. (Gen. 1:27,28) The return of the lost sheep to the fold implies the restoration of this dominion which was lost because of sin. Paul wrote, “We see not yet all things put under” man, “but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Heb. 2:8,9) In other words, the rescue work has begun, and eventually—at the end of the Millennium—the lost sheep will have been returned to the fold.

This work of rescuing the sin-cursed and dying race from death is made possible by the death of Jesus as man’s Redeemer. Paul wrote that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, … and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” Because of this we are “ambassadors for Christ.” (II Cor. 5:18-20) The followers of Jesus are associated with him in the work of reconciling the world to God. During the Gospel Age we are being prepared to be “kings and priests unto God” to assist in bringing back the lost sheep during the age to come.—Rev. 1:6

The parable states that when the shepherd returned home after rescuing the sheep, “he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” To this Jesus added, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”—vss. 6,7

The fact that Jesus speaks of the joy in heaven that results from the shepherd’s return with the announcement that the lost sheep has been recovered, lends weight to the thought that there is a proper larger application of the parable to the entire human race as the lost sheep, and to the ninety and nine as representing the heavenly hosts. Certainly there will be joy among all God’s intelligent creatures when sinful man has been reconciled to God and restored to the fold of his loving favor and care.

And in this we are also reminded that all who are filled and guided by God’s Spirit are of necessity pained to realize that there are those anywhere who are alienated from him through wicked works. We doubt not that even now whenever a member of the adamic race is led to repentance through the “word of reconciliation,” and surrenders himself fully to do God’s will, there is rejoicing in heaven; and there should also be gladness among all the Lord’s people here on earth.

The Lost Coin

THE parable of the Lost Coin is similar in import to The Parable of the Lost Sheep. Indeed, by comparing the introduction to each it becomes evident that Jesus intended one to supplement the other. (vss. 4,8) It was customary among Jewish women at the time to wear on the forehead a fringe of coin bangles. These might be of gold or silver, and sometimes represented her dowry. The loss of one of these coins would represent more than its intrinsic value.

The search for the coin would mean that, instead of being abandoned as something of little consequence, it was considered of great importance. The neighbors, learning first of the loss, and then of the recovery, rejoiced greatly with the woman who suffered the loss. This is another illustration of the joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.

In addition to the larger application of this parable to the recovery of the human race from sin and death, it further impresses the principle of interest in, and consideration for, those who are in need of help. Even one human life is of great value to our Heavenly Father, and should likewise be to us. It is important that we manifest this interest in others in our daily lives.

How do we manifest the Spirit of God toward our fellowmen? What are we doing from day to day that substantiates our professed interest in humanity in general? How are we showing our interest in our friends, our relatives, our children, our parents, our brothers and our sisters? How much are we doing to help others in finding their way back to God? How much are we sacrificing of time and strength in seeking to find the lost sheep?

We know, of course, that this is not the time in the divine plan for the recovery of humanity as a whole from sin and death; but if we are to be associated with Jesus in that great future rescue work, it is essential that we demonstrate our enthusiasm by the spirit of love which it represents. This we can do only by diligently, and at whatever cost may be involved, doing all we can now to bless those all about us, even far and wide, with the knowledge of God and his loving provision through the Good Shepherd so that they might be restored to the fold of his gracious care.

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