There’s a lot of talk about the so-called “leaving the 99” problem: leaving the people around us who we think have it worse than us, leaving behind people in trouble, leaving behind those on the edge of danger, leaving behind the struggles that we know and love. But I think that there are plenty of verses in Scripture that speak directly to leaving behind one thing or another. So if you’re looking for words to help you leave something, there are plenty out there to choose from.
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Leaving the 99, Part of Christ’s Parable on Management: A Blog Discussing the Master and Servant from Luke 17:7. Jesus is asking us to leave everything behind in order to follow him.
Bible Verses About Leaving The 99
When we talk about leaving the 99, we are referring to the parable of the lost sheep found in the Bible. This parable teaches us about the value of seeking out those who are lost and bringing them back to the flock. Here are some Bible verses that highlight this important lesson.
1. Luke 15:4
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?”
2. Matthew 18:12
“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?”
3. Ezekiel 34:16
“I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.”
4. Psalm 119:176
“I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.”
5. 1 Peter 2:25
“For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
These Bible verses remind us of the importance of seeking out those who are lost and helping them find their way back to God. Just as a shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep, we are called to show love and compassion to those who have strayed. Let us be inspired by these verses to reach out to those in need and bring them back into the loving arms of our Savior.
While many of us are familiar with the parable of the lost sheep, other Bible verses about leaving the 99 present a slightly different viewpoint. The Bible gives numerous examples of God’s heart for the least of these and his desire to save them.
Many people do not understand how difficult it can be to leave the place in which we grew up and move away from our friends or family. The Bible has many passages regarding leaving your current place of residence and discovering a new home. Some of these passages are descriptive and instructive, while others contain prayers for those who are being persecuted or sent away.
He Left The 99 To Rescue Me Meaning
Luke 15:1-7
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
2 Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
3 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
4 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 5 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” (John 10:1-2 KJV)
Luke 15:1-7, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.'”
2 Corinthians 6:14-18, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.'”
1 Timothy 4:16
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
When Jesus Left The 99 To Rescue The 1 And The 1 Was Me
Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 18 and Luke 15 about a shepherd who abandons 99 sheep to go in search of the one that got lost. In response to the Pharisees’ outrage that he “welcomes sinners and eats with them,” Jesus used this parable to calm their fears (Luke 15:2). There was a system in place during Jesus’ time that favored the righteous while casting out those who didn’t measure up to their often subjective expectations of what it meant to be religious (Matthew 23:28). They had piled on so many mandates to God’s law that not even they could follow them all. They didn’t understand Jesus’ method at all. He had a divine appearance, but He condemned the morally upright and welcomed the evil. Just how does he know God, anyway?
As He often did when attempting to impart spiritual truths, Jesus told a parable: “What do you think?” Surely, if a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, he’ll leave the other 99 behind and go searching for the missing one. I swear to you, if he does find it, he will be more pleased with that one sheep than with the other 99 that stayed put. Just as God our Father does not want any of his children to perish, neither do we (Matthew 18:12–14). The people of Jesus’ day grasped the importance of a shepherd going in search of a single lost sheep, but we can miss the point. It’s odd that the shepherd would abandon the rest of the flock to go look for one lost sheep.
A father and his five children are sleeping when the smoke alarms go off, and he decides to go outside to find the one who left the 99. As the father wakes up, he discovers his home is filled with smoke and he can hear the crackling of wood as fire approaches. In a panic, he rushes into his kids’ bedrooms and starts rousing them. Stumbling down the stairs and out the front door, he calls to some and carries others. He sets the kids down on the grass, far enough away, and turns around. Out of breath, he strains his eyes to see through the smoke and count the children: “Tim, Sally, Angel, Jojo—Lilly!” where’s He really misses his youngest child, Lilly, who is now three. Four kids made it home safely, but one did not. I don’t know what this dad will do.
The Lord is a Father. He’s keeping tally of His offspring. He’s overjoyed to know that some people have found refuge in Christ, where they can spend eternity in peace and comfort. A few, however, are missing. In search of Karen. In search of Abdul. Is Jose around? Jesus was dispatched by God the Father “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The 99 are never forgotten by God. Currently, they are in His kingdom, where they are protected by His angels and led by His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14; Hebrews 13:5). The ones who aren’t yet part of the family break His heart.
So the Good Shepherd goes after the sheep that have gotten lost, calling to them and arranging events so that they will eventually look up. The darkest of times are usually when we give up fighting for what we want. At last, we give in to the Shepherd, and he leads us back to safety (Luke 15:5). Again using the analogy of a shepherd, Jesus says, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen” (John 10:16). The two of them need to come along. All of them will pay attention to me, and we’ll all be in sync with each other (verses 16–17). Next, in verses 27-29, He says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. They will live forever and never die; no one can rip them from my hands. No one can take them from my Father’s hand; he is greater than all. He still cares about the other 99, but He also knows that the flock isn’t whole without the lost one. And the lost sheep is always the first priority of a good shepherd.
After the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus tells two more in Luke’s gospel, both of which emphasize the importance of the individual. The theme of God as a seeker of the lost is continued in Luke 15:8-10 with the parable of the lost coin and in Luke 15:11-32 with the parable of the lost son, also known as the prodigal son. Once we were all wandering aimlessly, but the Lord found us. No one could have been saved if He hadn’t gone first (John 6:44). For this reason, the other 99 sheep in the flock will enthusiastically back our Good Shepherd’s efforts to find and save a lost lamb.
Bible Verses About God Leaving The 99
Luke 15:1-32 ESV / 13 helpful votes
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. …
Luke 15:3-7 ESV / 12 helpful votes
So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15:1-7 ESV / 11 helpful votes
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. …
Psalm 119:176 ESV / 7 helpful votes
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
John 10:27 ESV / 6 helpful votes
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Luke 15:1-10 ESV / 6 helpful votes
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. …
Matthew 18:12-14 ESV / 6 helpful votes
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
John 10:16 ESV / 5 helpful votes
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Luke 15:7 ESV / 5 helpful votes
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Matthew 18:1-35 ESV / 5 helpful votes
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, …
Ezekiel 34:16 ESV / 5 helpful votes
I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
Isaiah 53:6 ESV / 5 helpful votes
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.
Romans 3:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes
No one understands; no one seeks for God.
John 10:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Matthew 18:10-14 ESV / 4 helpful votes
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Matthew 10:6 ESV / 3 helpful votes
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Isaiah 40:11 ESV / 3 helpful votes
He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
Romans 3:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
John 10:1-42 ESV / 2 helpful votes
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” …
Luke 15:11-32 ESV / 2 helpful votes
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. …
Luke 15:8-10 ESV / 2 helpful votes
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:4 ESV / 2 helpful votes
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
Luke 15:2 ESV / 2 helpful votes
And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Luke 15:1-2 ESV / 2 helpful votes
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Mark 2:17 ESV / 2 helpful votes
And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 12:11 ESV / 2 helpful votes
He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
Ezekiel 34:12 ESV / 2 helpful votes
As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
Ezekiel 34:1-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; …
Jeremiah 31:10 ESV / 2 helpful votes
“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
Psalm 100:3 ESV / 2 helpful votes
Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 23:1-6 ESV / 2 helpful votes
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …
Psalm 23:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm 1:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Would A Shepherd Leave 99 Sheep
One of Jesus’ parables is called “The Parable of the Lost Sheep.” Both Matthew 18:12–14 (the Sermon on the Mount) and Luke 24:13–35 include this passage (Luke 15:3–7). A lost sheep prompts a shepherd to abandon 99 of his charges and go in search of it. After the Pharisees and religious leaders accuse Jesus of welcoming and eating with “sinners,” Jesus begins telling a trilogy about redemption.
In Luke’s Gospel, the parable of the lost sheep is followed by the parables of the lost coin and the prodigal son. Similar to the Parable of the Lost Coin, the Parable of the Lost Sheep deals with themes of mourning, discovery, and rejoicing. A lost person can be thought of as the sheep or coin.
Because Jesus takes on the role of the shepherd in the parable of the Good Shepherd, he connects himself the image of God as a shepherd looking for lost sheep in Ezekiel 34:11-16.
“These parables are fundamentally about God,” explains Joel B. Green. “Their aim is to lay bare the nature of the divine response to the recovery of the lost.” God, who is depicted as rejoicing with the angels, is represented by the shepherd’s joy with his companions. The criticism of the religious leaders who prompted the parable stands in stark contrast to the image of God celebrating the return of lost sinners.
Typical Catholic interpretation of this parable is provided by Justus Knecht in his writing: “Our Lord illustrates His boundless compassion for all people through the parable of the Good Shepherd. Jews and Gentiles alike are His sheep, and He laid down His life as a sacrifice for their salvation. Therefore, he is the only Good Shepherd, and any other pastors are only good insofar as they follow Jesus’ example of love and care for the flock entrusted to them. And Jesus certainly knows His own. He guides them into His Church, aids them by His grace, enlightens them with His doctrine, and nourishes and strengthens them with His Flesh and Blood in the most Blessed Sacrament. Consequently, his love for the pastoral is boundless and divine.
In his monumental commentary, Cornelius a Lapide states, “As a result of our sinful desires, we were like lost sheep, aimlessly following our appetites down the road to hell, not caring one iota about God, heaven, or our eternal salvation. Thus, Christ came down from heaven in search of us, so that He might restore us to the path that leads to life eternal. That’s why the Bible says things like “Ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (Isaiah 53:6) and “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” 1 Peter 2:25.”
