“Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 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 neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”-Luke 15:1-7.

Bible students should always seek to view the jewels of the Lord’s Word in the settings in which they have been placed. To neglect this is to lose a portion of the lesson intended. The Scribes and Pharisees held themselves aloof from the common people-the Scribes, because the masses were illiterate; and the Pharisees, under the claim that the people were sinners, cut off from relationship to God, and therefore not proper to be recognized by the holy of humanity, which they claimed to be.

Jesus, however, received the common people, even the Publicans, acknowledged sinners. His superior knowledge did not make him haughty, and his superior righteousness did not make him proud and unsympathetic. He has set his followers an example that they should walk in his steps. The more closely they follow him, the more pleasing they will be to the Father, and the more ready for a share in the kingdom for which we pray, “Thy kingdom come.”

Our lesson tells us how the Pharisees and the Scribes murmured against Jesus, charging against him as a sin that he received sinners and ate with them. Whatever did not harmonize with their standards they could only contest. Their difficulty in part was that they had too high an opinion of themselves . Their spirit in this matter was an evil one, begotten of the adversary. Hence Jesus sometimes spoke of them as being children of the devil, because his works they did, and his spirit they had. However, even this does not signify that the Pharisees were beyond hope of salvation . Did not Jesus address St. Peter on one occasion, saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan (adversary)?” He was an adversary, had the adverse spirit at the time; but, corrected in harmony with the Lord’s spirit, everything was changed.

So it is with us. “His servants ye are to whom ye render service .” “By their fruits shall ye know them,” said the Master. Applying his words to many who profess to be his disciples, we are bound to suppose that either intentionally or ignorantly they are in opposition to the Master’s Spirit and teachings-adversaries of his teachings.

Jesus, knowing the thoughts of the Pharisees, and perhaps noting their gestures and looks or hearing their words, answered them in a parable, saying, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep and having lost 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 finding it, he lays it upon his shoulder rejoicing, and tells the fact to his neighbors exultantly. This course of the shepherd, Jesus declared, illustrates the attitude of God and all the holy angels associated with him. They have a special feeling of interest in those who have strayed, and especially rejoice in the recovery of such. There is more rejoicing over the repentant sinner than over ninety and nine just persons needing no repentance.

Oh, how encouraging it is to us to know that this is the sentiment of heaven, and that the fall of man and our imperfections do not stand as a perpetual bar to recognition by the Lord, if we return to him! He is merciful, and will abundantly pardon, and will remove our sins from us as far as the East is from the West. This interest is in the repentant one or in the one who has not sinned beyond repentance. Any sheep, having been found by the Shepherd and then preferring the adversary, would no longer be interested to be the heavenly ones.

Many apply this parable inconsistently. They seem to think of the whole world of mankind as representing the flock of a hundred sheep, and the one straying as representing the sinners of earth, comparatively few. Surely this cannot be the true interpretation! Rather, as the Prophet has declared, “All we like sheep have gone astray.”- Isaiah 53:6. “There is none righteous, no not one.” – Romans 3:10.

Let us rather interpret the parable on a broader scale, in comportment with the facts and the Scriptures. Let us understand the one stray sheep to represent Adam and his family; and the ninety and nine just persons needing no repentance as representing the holy angels. To this view every feature of the parable inclines. The Good Shepherd left the heavenly flock and came to earth to find, to redeem, to recover, mankind, the lost sheep; and there is more rejoicing in heaven over human recoveries from sin and alienation from God than over the holy ones themselves, than over each other, who have never been alienated, never needed redemption.

The lesson to the Pharisees is plain. They had a different spirit from that of the holy ones. Theirs was an earthly view, a selfish one, a proud and haughty one, out of accord with the divine spirit, and not pleasing to God. Jesus would have all of his disciples copy God. “Be ye like unto your Father which is in heaven.” “He is kind to the unthankful.” “His mercy endureth forever” -to a full completeness.

His mercy sent His Son, the Under Shepherd, to be our Redeemer, and to help us back into His favor. His mercy will pursue the lost sheep until every member of Adam’s race shall have been brought to a knowledge of the truth and to a full opportunity of returning to the fold of God. To this end the Messianic Kingdom is to be established. To this end also is the present call for the church, to be a royal priesthood, that under the guidance of the great Deliverer, they may be cola borers with him in carrying the message of God’s grace to all the members of Adam’s family.

Oh, how different this view of our loving Creator from the one which was handed down to us from the Dark Ages! How different from the one which represented the Almighty as angry in a vicious sense!-as having prepared in advance a place for the eternal torture of the human family, except a few who would have the hearing ears and happen to hear the message in the present life. On the contrary, we find that God’s loving provision is only beginning to be manifested, in his favor toward Christ and the church; and that ultimately the knowledge of the glory of God shall fill the whole earth, until every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, to the glory of God.

In proportion as we become Godlike we have an interest in sinners-especially in those who through heredity or evil environment are more deeply steeped in sin, ignorance, and superstition. Having God’s spirit, we are glad to do anything in our power to reach these sinners. Nevertheless, we are not to be wise above what is written. We are not to expect to find all the sheep. Rather, we are to prepare as many as the Lord our God shall call and draw to be associated with the great Chief Shepherd in the work which he shortly will institute, the work of seeking the lost sheep and finding it and restoring it-all the willing and obedient.

“The Son of man came to seek and to save (recover) that which was lost.” The race was lost, not merely a few, the church; and their recovery is to include all that was lost. This does not signify universalism, but will be accomplished in bringing every member of Adam’s race to a full knowledge of God and to full opportunity of recovery from sin and death.-1 Timothy 2:3, 4. R 5426 (1914)