The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, 2but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So to them he addressed this parable. 4 “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy 6 and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.
On this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 27th), the Church invites us to gaze into the very heart of God—a heart that does not remain distant, but draws near to seek, save, and rejoice over the lost. Today’s Gospel, along with the other readings from Romans and Ezekiel, reveals not only the depth of God’s mercy, but the consistency of His love across all of salvation history. In this brief parable, Jesus shows us what matters most to God: every single soul.
In Luke 15:3–7, Jesus tells the first of three parables to respond to the Pharisees and scribes who complain that He welcomes sinners and eats with them (cf. Lk 15:2). He poses a rhetorical question: “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?” (Lk 15:4).
At first glance, the shepherd’s decision to leave ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness to seek one lost sheep seems irrational. But Jesus is speaking in hyperbole—an exaggerated scenario meant to shock the listener into recognizing the depth of divine mercy. His audience would have understood the costliness of such an action, and it is precisely this costly love that Jesus attributes to God.
The parable highlights two truths central to the Gospel:
First, every individual matters to God. The one lost sheep is not expendable. In a world that often prizes efficiency over persons, Jesus reveals that God’s love is not statistical or utilitarian—it is personal, persistent, and full of joy when even one sinner repents.
Second, the parable offers a glimpse into the joy of heaven. Jesus concludes, “I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance” (v. 7). This is not a dismissal of the righteous but a celebration of the salvific mission of Christ who came “to seek and to save what was lost” (Lk 19:10).
The shepherd imagery recalls key Old Testament passages where God is described as Israel’s shepherd (Ps 23:1; Ezek. 34:11–16). The prophet Ezekiel, in particular, denounced the unfaithful leaders of Israel and announced that God Himself would search for His sheep, rescue them, and bind up their wounds. Jesus fulfills this divine promise, not only by seeking the lost but by laying down His life for the sheep (Jn 10:11).
The parable also connects to Jesus’ teaching elsewhere about the need for repentance (Mk 2:17) and the merciful heart of God revealed in Him (Rom 5:8). This mercy is not sentimental—it calls for change, but it always begins with love.
Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd of our souls, thank You for seeking us when we are lost. Help us to never despair of Your mercy. Give us hearts that rejoice in the conversion of others, and make us instruments of Your saving love. Amen!
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Bernard Orchard et al. (1953), comments on Luke 15.
- The Navarre Bible: St. Luke, Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre (2008).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Chiu et al. (2018), commentary on Luke 15:3–7.
- The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. Brown, Fitzmyer, and Murphy (1990), commentary on Luke 15.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§545–546, 1439.
- Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34:11–16; Matthew 18:12–14; Luke 19:10; John 10:11; Romans 5:8.
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