“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” (Luke 15:4-6).
Jesus the True Shepherd
The following story illustrates Jesus’s love and care for all people. A shepherd had one hundred sheep. He loved his sheep and kept them in a pleasant valley deep within the mountains. The valley was a safe place, but the mountains were dangerous. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:1-2).
Sometimes the shepherd led his sheep into the mountains to find pasture. The shepherd watched over the sheep, protected them, and then led them back to the safety of the valley before darkness fell. When they reached the sheepfold, the careful shepherd counted the sheep as they went through the gate. “Then said Jesus… I am the door of the sheep… by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:7, 9).
A Sheep Is Lost
One evening the shepherd counted only ninety-nine sheep. One of the sheep was still out on the mountain! Curious about the world around him, that sheep had fallen behind. Green tufts of grass lured him away from the trail. He stopped to investigate flowers, trees, and bushes he had never noticed before. Captivated by his discoveries, he forgot about following the shepherd and was left far behind. As evening came, he suddenly realized that he was alone and far from home. He was afraid and began to run. In his confusion he went the wrong way. He could not find the shepherd, the sheep, or the path home.
Night fell and a storm came. The lost sheep huddled under a bush, soaked and miserable. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). Eventually the thunder and the rain ceased. The noises and shadows of the night frightened the sheep into running again. Thorns tore him and he began to bleed. Behind him, howling wolves found his trail and gave chase.