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Matthew 18:10-14 (Parable of the lost sheep)

INTRODUCTION: This is the third message in our new series called Jesus the Master Teacher. In these messages we are looking at a series of Jesus’ teachings as found in Matthew 18-20.

We said earlier that this block of teaching in chapters 18-20 corresponds to the earlier block of teaching we looked at in chapters 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount. However, there is one major difference between the two sets of teaching.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus presented one single sermon of extended teaching, although he touched on different subjects within the sermon. Jesus’ teaching here in chapters 18-20 is more of what we would call occasional teaching, various teachings that were prompted by specific occasions.

For example, the section of teaching we are looking at right now was prompted by the disciples asking Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” In response, Jesus had a little child stand among them, and he began the series of teachings we are looking at here in chapter 18. Starting in 18:21 and on through chapters 19-20, new occasions present themselves, each one prompting new teachings from Jesus.

Today’s passage deals with the wanderer and how God treats those who wander away from him. (Read Matthew 18:10-14 and pray.)

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So, today we are talking about the problem of wandering. When we wander from the Lord, we often find ourselves asking such questions as: “Does God still love me? Does God want me back? Or has God abandoned me, and I am just getting what I deserve?”

Jesus answers those questions for us by telling us the parable of the shepherd and the lost sheep. And in doing so, he teaches us some vital truths for us to hold on to when we find ourselves in a position of wandering far from God.

We summed up our first message in this series as: Jesus loves the little children, and so should we. We summed up our second message as: God takes sin seriously, and so should we. We can sum up today’s message as: God seeks the wanderer, and so should we. God is the good shepherd of the sheep who seeks after his wandering children and brings them safely home.

I. God’s watchful care for his children (10)

Jesus begins by describing God’s watchful care for his children. Look at verse 10 where Jesus says:

“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)

   A. Don’t look down on any of God’s children
      – Matthew 18:6

First Jesus tells us not to “look down” on one of these little ones. We have seen that Jesus uses this phrase “little ones,” in two different ways in this chapter. He began by speaking about little children, but then he went on to use this phrase also to refer to believers, to those who have made themselves like little children by humbly putting their trust in God. And so here, Jesus is saying don’t look down on any of God’s children.

Notice the word “one” again. We saw this last week in Matthew 18:6: “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6) Now Jesus says be careful that you do not look down on even one of these little ones. Everyone is important. Each one counts.

   B. Why not? God is always watching over them (i.e. “their angels see his face”)
      – Psalm 91:11-12; Hebrews 1:14

Why should we not look down on any of God’s children? Jesus gives the reason: “For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”

Some people take this verse to say that each person has a guardian angel assigned to them at birth who follows them around and takes care of them. I suppose that’s possible, but the Bible never really says that we each have one specific angel assigned to us. In fact, it says something better. We have multiple angels watching over us and serving us as God’s children.

For example, we read this in Psalm 91: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:11-12) Hebrews 1:14 says: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)

So, we have something much better than a single guardian angel watching over us. All of God’s angels are entrusted with the task of watching over believers and taking care of us. As John Calvin writes: “The care of the entire church is committed to angels, to assist each member as his needs require.” (John Calvin, The Harmony of the Gospels, Vol 2, pp. 273-274) When you are in trouble, when you are in need, God’s angels are there to help you.

Jesus says these angels always see the face of his Father in heaven. This expression tells us that God is constantly watching over us and is immediately aware of all of our circumstances. God has assigned his angels to protect his children, and those angels are in constant communication with God the Father in heaven.

You might wonder, why does Jesus even bring this up at this time? What was it that prompted him to give us this instruction about not looking down on one another? This is still in response to the disciples asking Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” It was the wrong question for many reasons, but one reason is because you can only consider yourself greater than someone else when you are looking down on them.

The problem here is pride. Jesus addressed this issue of pride earlier by telling us to humble ourselves like little children. Now he warns us about a prideful attitude that looks down on others in order to lift ourselves up.

Do you ever do that? Do you ever criticize other believers? Do you ever look down on them for their lack of faith or lack of progress in the faith? Then Jesus has a word for you this morning. He says, “Don’t do that.” We are all at different places in our Christian walk, and you were once where they are now. We all need to grow in our Christian faith. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Jesus says don’t look down on any of God’s children, because God is always watching over them.

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Now, before we move on to verse 12, I want to point something out to you. You may have noticed that verse 11 is missing from your Bible and appears instead as a footnote at the bottom of the page. And that footnote tells you what verse 11 originally said here: “The Son of Man came to save what was lost.” (Matthew 18:11)

The reason it was moved to a footnote is because this verse is not found in the earliest manuscripts of the Bible. It’s a good verse. It comes from the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:10, and that’s where it belongs. It was most likely added here in Matthew 18 by some copyist who was trying to make a clearer connection for us between verse 10 and verse 12. Not that we needed a clearer connection – the two verses connect well enough without any additional help. Plus, you’re not supposed to be adding verses to the Bible! I’m sure he meant well, but God’s word stands fine all on its own.

Sometimes people hear about these “extra” verses that people added into the Bible, and they lose confidence in the Scriptures. But we should actually have even more confidence! We have so many early manuscripts of the Bible that we are easily able to find any extra verses that got added in and take them back out again. And so, you can have full confidence that the Bible we read today is an accurate rendition of the original manuscripts inspired by God so many years ago.

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II. The parable of the lost sheep (12-13)

So, let’s move on now to verses 12-13 which is where Jesus shares with us the parable of the lost sheep. Jesus tells his disciples:

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.” (Matthew 18:12-13)

   A. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to look for the lost sheep
      – Psalm 103:10

The “what do you think” at the beginning of verse 12 invites us to reflect on the parable that follows. So, what do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” And the answer is, “Of course he will!”

Remember, Jesus has been focusing all along on “the one” in these passages. Jesus said in verse 5: “Whoever welcome even one little child in my name, welcomes me.” Jesus said in verse 6: “If anyone causes even one of these little ones who believe in me to sin.” And then he said in verse 10: “See that you do not look down on even one of these little ones.” Now Jesus focuses on “the one” in this parable of the lost sheep.

This is such a precious parable. The shepherd doesn’t leave the lost sheep to fend for itself. The shepherd doesn’t say, “What a stupid sheep! I’ve got plenty of other sheep here. I’ll just leave that sheep alone, and let it get what it deserves.” No, he goes looking for it. In the original language the wording is even stronger. He keeps looking for it. He keeps on looking and doesn’t stop.

It is a beautiful illustration of God’s great love and compassion for us. Psalm 103:10 tells us: “God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:10) So, yes, even when we wander off on our own, the shepherd still comes looking for us.

Some people wonder about the ninety-nine that the shepherd leaves on the hills. Doesn’t he care about them as well? Of course, he does. There is no indication from the parable that the ninety-nine are in any danger. We can assume that the shepherd has left them in a safe place or perhaps under the care of other shepherds. It’s not that the shepherd cares more for the lost sheep than the rest of the flock. He cares for the whole flock, but part of the flock is missing. The other sheep are okay for now, but this lost sheep needs finding.

   B. The shepherd is happier about finding the one sheep that wandered than the ninety-nine who did not wander
      – Luke 15:31-32

And then Jesus says if he finds it, he is happier about finding the one sheep that wandered than the ninety-nine who did not wander. Notice the word “if” there in verse thirteen – “if he finds it.” In the parable there is no guarantee that the lost sheep will ever be found or that he will be found in time. Fortunately, when we get to verse fourteen in just a moment, we will see that unlike the shepherd in the parable, God never fails to find his missing children and bring them home.

Once again, people wonder about the shepherd being happier about finding the one lost sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander. We see the same thing in the parable of the prodigal son. The older brother complained when he saw how the father threw a party for the younger son when he returned home. But the father explained to him: “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:31-32)

It’s not that the shepherd doesn’t care about the ninety-nine or rejoice in them also. But there is a special joy in finding one that has been lost. If any of the ninety-nine wandered away, he would go looking for them, too, and when he found them, he would rejoice over them in the exact same way.

III. God is the good shepherd who seeks his children (14)

So, Jesus tells us about God’s watchful care for his children. He illustrates that for us by telling us the parable of the lost sheep. And then, finally, Jesus applies the parable to God’s love and care for us. God is the good shepherd who seeks his children. Look at verse 14 where Jesus says:

“In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” (Matthew 18:14)

Notice the change from “my Father” back in verse 10 to “your Father” here in verse 14. In verse 10 Jesus said, “Their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” Here in verse 14, he says, “In the same way your Father in heaven….” Yes, God is Jesus’ Father who has loved him for all of eternity. But God is also your Father who loves you and has compassion on you.

God is the good shepherd who seeks his children. And we see this in three ways. 1) He seeks you when you wander. 2) He rejoices when you come back home. 3) He will not let any of his children perish.

   A. He seeks you when you wander
      – Ezekiel 34:11-16; John 10:11

First, God seeks you when you wander. God’s first thought when you wander isn’t how much you messed up but how he can bring you back. God isn’t concerned with blame or punishment; rather, he desires restoration.

God has always been like that. We read in the Old Testament in Ezekiel 34: “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep…. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.” (Ezekiel 34:11-16)

In the New Testament Jesus says in John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) As the Son of God, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who not only looks for the lost sheep but lays down his life for the sheep. That’s the first way God is the good shepherd of the sheep He seeks you when you wander.

   B. He rejoices when you come back home
      – Luke 15:5-6

Next, he rejoices when you come back home. No lecture. No silent treatment. No look of disappointment or blame. Just pure, unadulterated joy.

I like the way Jesus shares this parable in the gospel of Luke. Jesus often told his parables more than once, and in Luke’s version, Jesus really emphasizes the joy: “When he finds the lost sheep, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’” (Luke 15:5-6) In the same way there is great rejoicing in heaven when the wanderer repents and comes home.

   C. He will not let any of his children perish
      – John 6:39-40, 10:27-28; James 5:19-20

1) God seeks you when you wander. 2) He rejoices when you come back home. And 3) he will not let any of his children perish. That’s what Jesus is saying here in verse 14: “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” (Matthew 18:14)

Remember the “if” in the parable? If the shepherd finds the sheep, he is happier about the one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. Well, that may be the case with the sheep in the parable, but praise God there are no “ifs” when it comes to God’s children.

Jesus says in John 6: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40)

Again, Jesus says in John 10: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)

God seeks you when you wander. He rejoices when you come back home. He will not let any of his children perish. God is the good shepherd of the sheep who seeks after his wandering children and brings them safely home – every single time.

CONCLUSION: We said at the beginning of the message today that God seeks the wanderer, and so should we. We are responsible for each other. Earlier Jesus said don’t cause anyone to stumble or fall. Now he says, if they do fall, go after them. Help them back up. This is one of the ways God seeks his wandering children. He sends us to help each other.

We read in James 5: “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20) Never look down on anyone. Never give up on anyone. Never write someone off. God seeks the wanderer, and so should we. We should seek them even when the wanderer is someone who has hurt or offended you, which is what we will look at in next week’s passage.

When we wander from God, we often think wrong thoughts about God. We think that God is mad at us or that he doesn’t want anything to do with us anymore. We think if we did come back that he would only scold us or lecture us for being so bad. And so, we continue to wander, thinking that God doesn’t want us back.

But he does want us back! He is a God of grace, love and forgiveness. He is the good shepherd of the sheep, and he is a loving father to his children. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

He not only wants us back, but he also comes looking for us. He will not stop seeking until he finds us and brings us back to his fold. And when we do come back, rather than scolding us or lecturing us or withholding his love, he is full of joy and rejoicing that a lost sinner has come home. He is even happier over our coming home than he is over those who never left to begin with.

If you are a wanderer today, there is nothing preventing you from coming back to God. There is no reason to waste any more time in the wilderness. God is the good shepherd of the sheep who seeks after his wandering children and brings them home. Perhaps you feel him tugging at your heart even now. Why don’t you come back to him today?

© Ray Fowler

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