What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? Luke 15:4
The story of the good shepherd is one of the most loved in the Bible, one of the most common texts for sermons, and one of the best known among people who have limited knowledge of the Bible. But there is a great misconception about this story… it is actually not a story at all. Many of the parables are stories, as the Lord Jesus related specific events that occurred to real people. The prodigal son, the good Samaritan, the sower, these are all true stories about real people. But the parable of the good shepherd is not an account of an actual event. Our text does not declare that there was such a shepherd, although there undoubtedly were many who would fit the story well. No, the Lord Jesus is asking a question of His audience; He is asking them, ‘Isn’t this exactly what any of you would do?’ Good question, would we have done as He described?
Very few if any of those reading this message are sheep farmers or shepherds. So we are highly unlikely to get called out to find a lost sheep anytime soon. But there are plenty of other types of lost sheep all around us, sheep in far greater peril than the one referred to in the Lord Jesus’ illustration. There are lost souls who are in danger of perishing forever. And there are discouraged and confused Christians who have lost their way and need a shepherd’s guidance and comfort.
We are impressed with the stories of the great missionaries, folks like Hudson Taylor, David Livingston, and Mary Slessor, who placed their lives in jeopardy and poured themselves out on the altar for God as they took the Gospel to the unreached. But we are all missionaries in our own place. There are people around us who will never hear the Gospel unless we give it to them, who will never know what salvation means unless we live it before them. Are we like a good shepherd; will we set aside our interests and safety and comfort to seek the lost?
The Lord Jesus could refer to Himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). His love and care was directed not only at those who were lost but also at those who were the sheep of His pasture. We study His compassion and tenderness with His disciples, with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, with so many others who became close to Him during His ministry. He put His caring into action, as we see in such examples as Lazarus’ sisters, Peter, and His own mother. This type of shepherd’s care is typical of all those who would be like the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
In our text, the Lord Jesus makes it sound like being a good shepherd is the automatic response to lost sheep. It was automatic, for Him. Is it for us? – Jim MacIntosh