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Originally Posted by JonathanHunt  Quote:
Originally Posted by etexas Quote:
Originally Posted by larryjf I tend to think that we stretch the parable too far when we try to define who the 99 are. The parable is about the lost one, not the 99.
After all, the shepherd brings the one lost sheep back home on his shoulders...presumably putting him back into the sheepfold.
So we see that the parable is speaking to Christ's determination to call the lost to Himself for salvation, and it doesn't really speak any further than that in my opinion. | Ditto, I used to have a book about the Parables of Christ (lost during a move), but I agree the emphasis is the seeking for the one sheep. We must remember that the parable is a literary device, and there are hazards in taking them beyond the obvious teaching.  | What about the 'obvious teaching' in verse 7... |
If push came to shove, I would say Henry is on the right track.
Sometimes being vague is not a bad thing
esp. in this Parable in which the one lost sheep is the focus rather than the 99.
