The Parable of the Lost Sheep

"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost." Matthew 18:10-14

"The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them He addressed this parable. What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." Luke 15: 1-7

Jesus used His parables in His teachings to explain His vision of God's rule. His parables were handed down in the oral tradition until they were written and put into collections. The Gospel writers seemed to have used such collections. Each of the Gospels is written and directed toward different audiences; consequently, the parables are told in a different light, depending on the message of the evangelist.

When looking at the parables, one must first look at Jesus' use of the short stories. Through the use of parables, Jesus challenges us to redefine and reshape our view of the world; moreover, of God's rule. Many of His parables challenge the values and traditions of His day, and continue to challenge the values found in our present day.