[Illustration: "But one was out on the hills away ... Away on the
mountains wild and bare"]
THE PHARISEES were very careful to keep all the rules of the Jewish law,
and were supposed to be very religious, because they prayed often in
public places and went regularly to church. But Jesus saw that their
religion was only pretended and not real, and would have nothing to do
with them, except rebuke them for their sins. The scribes, who were the
teachers of the law in the churches, expected Jesus to give them special
honor. But both Pharisees and scribes were very angry when they found
that Jesus paid them no attention, and was friendly with the
tax-collectors whom all the Jews despised and hated. Jesus even allowed
some to come near him who were outcasts, people who did not go to church
and did not try to keep the rules of the Jews.
The Pharisees and the scribes said in great scorn of Jesus, "This man
welcomes sinners, and even sits down at the table to eat with them!"
[Illustration: Searching for the lost silver-piece]
Jesus heard of their words, and answered them in the parable of "The
Lost Sheep." He said:
"If one of you has a hundred sheep, and loses one of them, does he not
leave the ninety and nine sheep in the sheepfold out in the fields, and
go after the lost one until he finds it. When he has found it, he puts
it on his shoulders with great joy and carries it home. And when he
comes to his house, he calls together his neighbors and his friends,
saying to them, 'Come and be glad with me; for I have found my sheep
which was lost.'
"So I tell you, there is more joy in heaven over one outcast sinner who
turns away from his sin to God, than over ninety-nine religious men who
are good already and do not need to turn from sin."
A lady has written this parable in verses that have been set to music
and sung many times. These are her verses:
THE NINETY AND NINE
There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold,
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold--
Away on the mountains wild and bare,
Away from the tender Shepherd's care.
"Lord, thou hast here thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for thee?"
But the Shepherd made answer, "'Tis of mine
Has wandered away from me;
And although the road be rough and steep
I go to the desert to find my sheep."
But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through
Ere he found his sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert he heard its cry,
Sick and helpless, and ready to die.
"Lord, whence are those blood drops all the way
That mark out the mountain's track?"
"They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back."
"Lord, whence are thy hands so rent and torn?"
"They are pierced tonight by many a thorn."
But all through the mountains, thunder-riven,
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a cry to the gate of heaven:
"Rejoice! I have found my sheep!"
And the angels echoed around the throne,
"Rejoice! for the Lord brings back his own!"
MRS. ELIZABETH C. CLEPHANE.
Jesus also gave to the people another parable, "The Lost Silver-piece."
He said:
"Or, if there is a woman who has ten silver coins, and loses one of
them, what will she do? She will light her lamp, and sweep her house,
and search carefully for her money, until she finds it. And when she
finds it, she goes out and calls together her women-friends and
neighbors, and says, 'Come and rejoice with me, for I have found the
silver-piece which I had lost.'
"Even so, I tell you there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one
sinner that turns to God."
It might be asked--why did the woman need to light a lamp when searching
for her lost coin? In that land, the houses of the plain people have
either no windows, or one window for the whole house, which is merely a
hole in the wall. The rooms are dark, even at mid-day, and to look on
the floor thoroughly, and especially in the corners, a lamp must be
lighted and carried close to the floor.
[Illustration: Silver Denarius of Tiberius. (Penny, Matt. 18: 28, etc.,
16 cents.)]
The Parable of the Lost Son Found