Parable of the Lost Sheep
What Does it Mean?

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.  

Chapter 1

Here is Matthew chapter 18 from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version--

___Matthew chapter 18
 1 At the same time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
 2 And Jesus called a little child to him, and set him among them,
 3 And said, "Truly I say to you, unless you're converted, and become like little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
 4 Whoever therefore shall humble himself like this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
 5 And whoever shall receive one such little child in my name receives me.
 6 But whoever shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it would have been better for him that a millstone had been hung around his neck, and that he had been drowned in the depth of the sea.
 7 Woe to the world because of offenses!  Because it must happen that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
 8 So if your hand or your foot offends you, cut them off, and throw them from you, it is better for you to enter into life missing a body part, rather than having two hands or two feet to be thrown into everlasting fire.
 9 And if your eye offends you, pluck it out, and throw it from you, it is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be thrown into hell's fire.
 10 Be careful that you don't offend one of these little ones, for I say to you, that in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
 11 For the Son of man has come to save those who were lost.
 12 What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, doesn't he leave the ninety nine, and go into the mountains, and seek the one that went astray?
 13 And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more about that sheep, than about the ninety nine that didn't go astray.
 14 Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to be destroyed.
 15 Also if your brother wrongs you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone, if he agrees, you've gained your brother.
 16 But if he doesn't agree, then take with you one or two more, so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word will be established.
 17 And if he won't hear them, tell it to the church, but if he won't hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen man and a tax collector.
 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
 19 Again I say to you that if two of you shall agree on earth concerning anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.
 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them."
 21 Then Peter came to him, and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Until seven times?"
 22 Jesus said to him, "I don't say to you, until seven times, but until seventy times seven.
 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who would take account of his servants.
 24 And when he had begun to reckon, someone was brought to him, who owed him ten thousand talents.
 25 But since he had nothing to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you all that I owe.
 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and set him free, and forgave him the debt.
 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred pence, and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe.
 29 And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and begged him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.
 30 And he wouldn't, but went and threw him into prison, until he paid the debt.
 31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told their lord all that had happened.
 32 Then his lord, after he had called him, said to him, O you wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt, because you desired me to.
 33 Shouldn't you also have had compassion on your fellow servant, like I had pity on you?
 34 And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he paid all that was due.
 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also to you, if you don't from your hearts forgive everyone his brother their trespasses."

Chapter 2

Please notice especially verses 12 through 14 in the above chapter.  

The lost sheep represents a person who is unsaved.  The shepherd finding the sheep represents the getting born again of that person.  

In fact, in another of the four Gospels, it says there is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner gets saved.  

Another scripture says, "God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Pet 3:9)

Jesus is the Savior of the World, to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile.  

He was sent down from heaven by his Father, God.  

The spirit of God made the virgin Mary pregnant with Jesus.  

Jesus lived a sinless life, preached to the people, taught the people, healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead.  They they crucified him, an innocent man, on a cross where he died for the sins of the world.  

But now, two thousand years later, many have still not accepted Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior.  Some have not heard the gospel message.  

The Jews seem to have a problem with Jesus because they were expecting the Messiah to set up an earthly kingdom.  But Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world."  

Jesus' kingdom is a heavenly kingdom, and he rules from heaven.  

But the Bible teaches that Jesus will return to earth and rule for a thousand years (The Millennium).

God would prefer that everyone get born again and go to heaven.  But some people have no use for God.  

If your profession is bank robber, then being a Christian would interfere with that because the Bible says, "Obey every ordinance of man."

Or, people who are into sex perversion don't welcome Christianity because they would have to give up that lifestyle, since God's plan for sex is marriage between one man and one woman.  And God is against adultery and fornication.  

God is also against pornography because Jesus said, "He that looks at a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart."  

In fact, Jesus taught that most people will go to hell. (Matt 7:13,14)  But you don't have to be one of that majority that goes to hell, friend.  

Let me give you an easy three-word prayer, "Jesus, save me!"  If you'll pray this prayer, Jesus will hear from heaven and will write your name in the "Lamb's Book of Life" in heaven.  

You have to have your name in that book to go to heaven.  

Those who don't make it to heaven wind up in a very nasty place called hell, where their worms don't die, and where the fire is never quenched, where there's crying and gnashing of teeth, Jesus said.  

In John chapter 3, Jesus said, "You must be born again."

You get born again when you hear or read the gospel message, and believe it, and ask the Lord to save you.  

Another scripture on the subject is Romans 10:9,10--
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved.  For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation."  

The Lord bless you.  

___James chapter 1
 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.
 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,
 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.
 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.
 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.
 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.
 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.
 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,
 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.
 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.
 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.
 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,
 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.
 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2
 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,
 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"
 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?
 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
 6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?
 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?
 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,
 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.
 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.
 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.
 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.
 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?
 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,
 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?
 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.
 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.
 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?
 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?
 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."
 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3
 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.
 2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.
 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.
 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!
 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.
 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,
 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.
 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.
 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?
 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.
 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.
 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.
 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4
 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?
 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.
 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.
 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"
 6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.
 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.
 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.
 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?
 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"
 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.
 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."
 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5
 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.
 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.
 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.
 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.
 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.
 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.
 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.
 8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.
 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.
 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
 11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.
 13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.
 14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.
 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.
 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.
 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,
 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.