Today's parables of the Lord Jesus about the lost sheep and the lost drachma, especially the first one, have had an exceptional influence on the consciousness of many generations of Christians...
Today's parables of the Lord Jesus about the lost sheep and the lost drachma, especially the first one, have had an exceptional influence on the consciousness of many generations of Christians. The image of the shepherd carrying the found sheep on his shoulders was painted on the walls of the Roman catacombs by Christians of Rome, and it became the first icon of Christ. From the eighth century to this day in the Eastern Church, as we accompany brothers on their final journey, we sing: "I am the lost sheep; call me back, O Savior, and save me". This is one of the most vivid images of salvation and one of the shortest summaries of the essence of the Gospel. God came into this world as the Shepherd in order to save the sheep that had run away from Him. Into ravines, into the very depths of the earth, and even down to hell He descends in order to find us. Everything here matters: that the sheep gets lost through its own foolishness, not following the Shepherd; that this sheep is unable to return to Him on its own; and that the Shepherd goes after it, moved by love and compassion.
But what matters most is what the Lord wanted to say through this parable to the Pharisees who were questioning Him. They believed that Christ should occupy Himself with them, people who carefully observed petty ritual prescriptions and despised others. Today we have various honorary titles: distinguished physician, distinguished teacher, distinguished this or that. The Pharisees, in our language, wanted to be distinguished righteous people, entitled to privileges in the Kingdom of Christ. But in these two parables the Lord answered them that God needs all His sheep, not only some of them. And only repentance makes you a found sheep rather than a proud and disobedient ram.
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15:7 Joy shall be - Solemn and festal joy, in heaven - First, in our blessed Lord himself, and then among the angels and spirits of just men, perhaps informed thereof by God himself, or by the angels who ministered to them. Over one sinner - One gross, open, notorious sinner, that repenteth - That is, thoroughly changed in heart and life; more than over ninety and nine just persons - Comparatively just, outwardly blameless: that need not such arepentance - For they need not, cannot repent of the sins which they never committed. The sum is, as a father peculiarly rejoices when an extravagantchild, supposed to be utterly lost, comes to a thorough sense of his duty; or as any other person who has recovered what he had given up for gone, has a more sensible satisfaction in it, than in several other things equally valuable, but not in such danger: so do the angels in heaven peculiarly rejoice in the conversion of the most abandoned sinners. Yea, and God himself so readily forgives and receives them, that he may be represented as having part in the joy.