ISB ~ Luke 15 v3 - 7

The parable of the Lost Sheep. In a pastoral culture every sheep of one’s flock was valuable, and shepherds would naturally rejoice when a stray was recovered (15:6). Jesus is the shepherd who restores us to friendship with God (Jn 10:1-10).

• Yahweh is depicted as a shepherd in the OT (Ps 23:1; Is 40:11), as is the Messiah (Mic 5:4; Zech 13:7). Ezekiel brings these two traditions together, promising that God himself will seek the scattered flock of his people (Ezek 34:1116) and send the Davidic Messiah to shepherd them (Ezek 34:22-24).

• Allegorically (St. Gregory the Great, Hom. in Evan. 2):Jesus is the shepherd who recovers the lost sheep of mankind. Hoisting it upon his shoulders signifies how he takes upon himself both the nature of man and the heavy burden of man’s sins.