Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
and the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
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?
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me: for I have found my sheep which was lost.
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.
Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?
And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me: for I have found the piece which I had lost.
Classification: Forgiveness and the Love of God
Interpretation: First, there is one JST that is so small I almost didn't bother with it. But that one small change makes a big difference. It's in verse 4. As usual, the JST will be in italics. "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine and go into the wilderness after that which is lost, until he find it?" The original had me believe that He would leave us alone in the wilderness to fend for ourselves while he searches for someone else. But, that is not the case. He leaves the ninety and nine in peace and safety to go find the one lost in the wilderness.
Anyway, God is represented as the one who has lost something. The lost something being one of His precious souls. When they are found and brought back into the fold all of heaven rejoices.
Application: This is what David O. McKay had to say in general conference April 1945:
"The Lost Sheep: It strayed without intending to: Sheep go where grass is. It seems apparent that the sheep in the parable was not lost through willful disobedience or careless neglect; it simply strayed away in search of greener pastures and soon was lost.
I ask you tonight, how did that sheep get lost? He was not rebellious. If you follow the comparison, the lamb was seeking its livelihood in a perfectly legitimate manner, but either stupidly, perhaps unconsciously; it followed the enticement of the field, the prospect of better grass until it got out beyond the fold and was lost.
So we have those in the Church, young men and young women, who wander away from the fold in perfectly legitimate ways. They are seeking success, success in business, success in their professions, and before long they become disinterested in Church and finally disconnected from the fold; they have lost track of what true success is, perhaps stupidly, perhaps unconsciously, in some cases, perhaps willingly. They are blind to what constitutes true success.
The Lost Coin: it was lost through the Carelessness and Neglect of Another: In this case the thing lost was not in itself responsible. The one who had been trusted with that coin had, through carelessness or neglect, mislaid it or dropped it. There is a difference, and this is the one-third, which I think applies to us tonight. Our charge is not only coins, but living souls of children, youth, and adults. They are our charges...Someone may be wandering because of the careless remark of a girl of her age in Mutual (and I have in mind a case), and the president of the Mutual lets her go, fails to follow her next Tuesday night and invite her to come. Another may be lost because of the inactivity of the Sunday School teacher, or the indifference of the Sunday School teacher who was satisfied with the fifteen people there that morning, instead of thinking of the fifteen who are wandering because of neglect."
I'll write what he said about being lost through willful disobedience in the next parable.
"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." D&C 18:10
So, how do we seek out and find these lost souls. And what do we do to bring them back?
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| The Good Shepherd, 17th century Phillippe de Champaigne |
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