Luke 15:1–7
The Shepherd’s joy outweighs the scandal of His pursuit.
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.
2 The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.”
3 He told them this parable.
4 “Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it?
5 When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
7 I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
The Shepherd’s joy outweighs the scandal of His pursuit.
To reveal that Jesus’ reception of sinners reflects God’s redemptive pursuit and heaven’s joy over repentance.
This parable responds directly to Pharisaic grumbling (15:2) and begins a triad of recovery parables culminating in the Prodigal Son (15:11–32).
The Joy of God over the Lost Being Found
God rejoices to seek, receive, restore, and celebrate repentant sinners, and he exposes the self-righteous heart that resents mercy.