Matthew 18:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.

NIV: And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.

NASB: And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray.

CSB: And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

NLT: And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away!

KJV: And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

NKJV: And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

Jesus is comparing His Father, God, to a shepherd with 100 sheep. If one of those sheep wandered off away from the flock, the common practice would be for a shepherd to leave the other 99 sheep with another shepherd in order to find the one that had gone astray. Why? Because sheep are valuable, and the shepherd cares for His sheep.

Now Jesus continues that when the shepherd finds the missing sheep, he will be truly excited. He will rejoice more over finding the one missing sheep than the 99 that stayed with the flock. That's just human nature. Jesus is showing that it is also the nature of God to rejoice over restoring one of His own "little ones," believers in Jesus, who have gone astray.

What does it mean for a believer in Jesus to go astray? It seems pretty clear that Jesus is talking about believers who give in to temptation and sin. He has warned His disciples with harsh hyperbole in the previous verse just how seriously they should confront their own sinfulness, but He followed that by warning them not to despise any of the other believers in Jesus, even apparently those who fall into sin. His Father is like a shepherd who goes after a missing sheep and brings it home.

God often compared the people of Israel to sheep in the Old Testament. Jesus came to pay the price for our sinfulness and to make it possible for sinful sheep to be forgiven and be given a place with the Father. Isaiah 53:6 puts it this way, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Matthew 18:10–14 describes the great value God the Father places on everyone who believes in Jesus. This is often referred to as the Parable of the Lost Sheep. Jesus warns His disciples not to despises any of the believers, calling them "little ones." They are connected to the glory of God by their angels in heaven. God the Father is a like shepherd with a wandering sheep. He will leave all the others to go and bring that sheep back. The Father's will is that none of His own should perish.

Jesus uses two questions from the disciples to teach important lessons. The "greatest" in the kingdom is the one who humbles himself like a child. Temptation is unavoidable in earthly life, but it's worth going to extremes to avoid falling for it. Even so, those who fall should not be hated and despised. God the Father values them highly and wants none of them to perish. In fact, Jesus lays out a clear, careful process to confront sin in others before removing them from the community. Christ also replies to Peter's question about forgiveness with a parable. This story represents both God's amazing forgiveness, and the way we ought to respond as Christians.

Matthew 18 follows the action of the previous chapter with teaching from Jesus on several issues. These include humility, using the example of a child. Jesus also teaches about avoiding sin and offering forgiveness to others. Interestingly, the following chapter will also feature references to children and to wealth, as Christ continues to explain the will of God to His disciples.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.