Lost & Found
Luke 15: 1 - 7 (and continuing) This parable about a lost sheep, a shepherd, and the remaining 99 sheep who are not lost is the first of a set of three teachings Jesus offers that focus on the state of being lost versus being found. Like other parables we’ve read, t his cluster of teachings is framed Jesus hanging out with tax collectors and sinners while the scribes and pharisees raise their eyebrows and grumble about the company Jesus keeps. I think that we can assume that Jesus is telling this parable specifically for the benefit of the Pharisees and scribes in response to their grumbling. Like any good parable, it is multifaceted and invites the hearer to see the story from the viewpoint of all of the characters. It invites the hearer to closely consider the setting. It invites the visitor to find themselves and the teaching that they need within the story. Jesus poses a question at the outset, “Which one of you, having a hundred s...