Matthew recorded this parable as part of Jesus' discipleship training. Jesus' point was that God does not want any of His "sheep"to wander away from their Shepherd. It was a call to the disciples to exercise responsible pastoral leadership. Luke showed that Jesus used the parable to stress God's joy when one of His lost "sheep"gets saved. It taught the Pharisees and lawyers how important the salvation of one "sinner"is to God. Jesus used the same parable on two separate occasions to teach different lessons.
15:3-4 Probably many of Jesus' hearers were shepherds since this was one of the most common occupations in Palestine. A flock of 100 sheep was fairly common for a small farmer.348It was also normal for a shepherd to count his sheep every night.349The Greek word eremoscan mean "wilderness"(AV), but probably it means "open pasture"(NASB) or "open country"(NIV) here.
15:5-6 The contrast between the lost and the found condition of the one sheep was the cause for the shepherd's great rejoicing. His joy at the secure condition of the sheep is the point of the parable. The parable also pictures the shepherd (Jesus) taking the initiative in seeking the lost, a major theme in Luke (cf. 19:10; et al.). By picturing the shepherd carrying the sheep home on his shoulders Jesus was communicating His loving care of those He saves. His action depicted common rural practice.
15:7 The 99 righteous persons represent the self-righteous Pharisees and lawyers (v. 2). Jesus was using the term "righteous"in irony. They were not really righteous, but they considered themselves righteous. The contrast then is between God's joy over one sinner's salvation compared to His sorrow over 99 self-righteous people's lack of salvation. "In heaven"means in God's presence (cf. v. 10).
Jesus revealed that even though sinners coming to Jesus made the Pharisees grumble, this rejoiced God's heart. The parable showed how out of harmony they were with God. It also vindicated Jesus' contacts with sinners.
