The lost sheep

Jesus explains this parable:

Suddenly, a shepher frowns. In an instant he realizes that one of his sheep is missing and he does not need much time to find out exactly which one is lost. Immediately he leaves the flock and runs to look for the lost sheep.

A good shepherd would never make this imprudence. Only after having led the flock to the fold, he would take care of the missing sheep, and once recovered, instead of caressing her, perhaps he would  hit her to teach her a lesson. But the parable is not intended to show us the customs of shepherds, but to help us recognize the feelings of God. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, can not consent that any sheep of his flock is missing. He cannot even bear that the last among one hundred has disappeared, and He will look up for her until she is found. Then, instead of hitting her, He will load her on his shoulder, caressing her little head, and once back to the village, He will share his joy with friends and neighbors!

God is not resigned to the loss of one sinner. The anguish of a man who struggles amid doubts, or the one who succumbs to temptations, causes God an immense compassion. To achieve his  salvation, his son offered his life and poured all his blood. Jesus is tireless to illuminate the conscience of sinners, and multiplies his calls, not letting them rest until they have returned to him, who is loaded before his Father with all our sins.

   Jesús explica aquesta paràbola :

De sobte, un pastor arruga el front. En un instant s'adona que una de les seves ovelles ha desaparegut, i no li cal gaire temps per saber exactament quina d'elles. Immediatament deixa el ramat, i corre a buscar a l'ovella esgarriada.

Un bon pastor mai cometria aquesta imprudència. Només després d'haver conduit el ramat a la cleda, s'ocuparia de l'ovella que falta, i una vegada recuperada, en comptes d'acariciar-la, potser la pegaria per escarmentar-la. Però la paràbola no pretén mostrar-nos els costums dels pastors, sinó fer-nos reconèixer els sentiments de Déu. Jesús, el nostre bon Pastor, no pot consentir que falti ni una de les ovelles del seu ramat. Ell no tolera que la que fa cent, hagi desaparegut, i la buscarà fins que l'hagi recuperada. Llavors, no la pegarà, la carregarà a l'espatlla acaronant el caparró de la petita rescatada, i al tornar al poble compartirà la seva alegria amb veïns i amics!

Déu no es resigna a la pèrdua d'un sol pecador. L'angoixa de l'home que es debat en mig de dubtes, o del que sucumbeix a les temptacions, li causa una compassió immensa. Per aconseguir la seva salvació, ha ofert el seu Fill la seva pròpia vida, i ha vessat tota la seva sang. Jesús es mostra infatigable en il·luminar la consciència dels pecadors, multiplica les seves crides i no els deixa reposar fins que han retornat a Ell, que s'ha carregat davant del seu Pare de totes les nostres culpes.

(Georges Chevrot: El Evangelio al aire libre, p.103-109, Palabra)