The Shepherd Who Seeks the Lost

Tax collectors and sinners gathered close to Jesus, eager to hear Him speak.

The Pharisees watched with contempt. “This man welcomes sinners,” they muttered, “and eats with them.”

So Jesus told them a story. “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep

and loses one of them.” He paused — letting the image settle. “Does he not leave

the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”

The shepherd does not calculate worth. He does not weigh convenience. He does not abandon

the one who wandered. He searches. Over hills. Through valleys. Into danger.

And when he finds the sheep, he does not scold it. He lifts it onto