The parable of the lost sheep is one of the parables of Jesus Christ . Its text is quoted by two evangelists:
| Gospel | Parable |
|---|---|
( Matt. 18: 12-14 )  | What do you think? If anyone had a hundred sheep, and one of them got lost, would he not leave ninety-nine in the mountains and would he not go looking for the lost one? and if it happens to find her, then, truly I tell you, he rejoices about her more than about ninety-nine not lost. So, there is no will of your Heavenly Father that one of these little ones perishes. |
( Luke 15: 3-7 )  | But He told them the following parable: which of you, having a hundred sheep and having lost one of them, will not leave ninety-nine in the wilderness and will not go after the missing one until he finds it? And having found it, he will take it on his shoulders with joy and, having come home, will call friends and neighbors and say to them: rejoice with me: I found my missing sheep. I tell you that so in heaven there will be more joy for one sinner repenting than for ninety-nine righteous people who do not need repentance. |
Content
Interpretation
It is noted that a real shepherd never leaves his flock anywhere ("in the mountains, in the desert") in order to search for a fighting animal, because in its absence the predators would attack the herd [1] .
Theological
Theophylact Bulgarian in his interpretation of the Gospel of Luke writes that there are two views on what Jesus meant by the sheep: [2]
- “ By ninety-nine sheep, he means the righteous, and under one sheep, the fallen sinner ”;
- “ By a hundred sheep, they mean all rational creatures, and by one sheep, a man of rational nature .”
Averky (Taushev) , discussing the image of the sheep, writes: “The Lord compares Himself with a shepherd who, having left a whole herd, that is, countless host of Angels, went to look for one lost sheep, that is, a fallen man .” [3] Theophylact writes about the same in the interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew :
He left ninety-nine sheep in heaven, that is, angels, and having accepted the sight of a slave, went to look for one sheep, that is, human nature, and rejoices about him more than about his firmness in the good of angels. [four]
The general meaning of the parable, theologians believe that God cares about the conversion of sinners and rejoices more about them than about those who are established in virtue. [four]
The Scottish theologian William Barkley, in his interpretation of the parable, emphasizes that it is dedicated to the love of God for each individual person and gives this love the following characteristics: patient, seeking, rejoicing, protective, protective. [five]
See also
- The Good Shepherd is a symbolic naming and depiction of Jesus Christ , borrowed from the Old Testament and repeated by Christ in the New Testament in an allegorical description of his role as a teacher.
Notes
- ↑ Leo Taxil , The Funny Gospel (The Life of Jesus), 1884, chapter L.
- ↑ Interpretation of Theophylact of Bulgaria on the Gospel of Luke (Unavailable link) . Date of treatment February 3, 2009. Archived February 14, 2009.
- ↑ Parable of the Lost Sheep (Archbishop Averky (Taushev). New Testament Scripture Study Guide)
- ↑ 1 2 Interpretation of Theophylact of Bulgaria on the Gospel of Matthew (Unavailable link) . Date of treatment February 3, 2009. Archived April 27, 2009.
- ↑ Barkley Commentary on the New Testament