PART 1: The Lost Sheep
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In The Prodigal Son Parable, Jesus tells three stories as one parable. In the Lost Sheep story, Jesus is the Shepherd. In the Lost Coin story, Jesus is the Woman. And in the Lost Sons parable, Jesus is the Father.
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The Pharisees are complaining that Jesus is accepting Sinners. To the Pharisees, sinners are “unclean,” because they break the Law of Moses.
Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15: 4 -7
Naturally, it’s a joy to find something of value that had been lost. Jesus’ audience would understand the value of a lost sheep and the responsibility of the shepherd to find it. When a sheep wanders off and then realizes that it's lost, it becomes terrified and cannot walk. It cries out.* It would often take a day or two for a shepherd to find his sheep. Even when a shepherd finds his sheep, the sheep is too terrified to walk home with the shepherd. The shepherd must pick up the sheep (weighing between 45 and 70 pounds), put it on his shoulders, and carry it home. When home, the shepherd traditionally celebrated with his friends and the villagers.
Unexpectedly, Jesus then says this:
“There's more joy in heaven for someone who repents than for ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
It was becoming clearer to Jesus’ audience that the main theme was repentance: How are people restored to God?
The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law believed that one’s life must be dedicated to following the Law (Torah). The way to love God was to carefully follow the Law. And when someone ‘sinned’ he/she must repent. For them it meant ‘saying you’re sorry’ then ‘paying back the debt.’ These preconditions were required before one could return to God. In short, they believed that the responsibility for restoration and repentance lay on the shoulders of those who sinned.
Yet in this parable, the sheep, under its own power, has no ability to return itself home to the shepherd. Repentance (of the sheep) requires the costly efforts of the shepherd. This short parable sets the stage for deeper understanding when the lost sons is read.