only lose once in our lifetime. And when one sheep is lost, that can often lead
to more sheep getting out as well. I’ve lost my patience, and now I’ve lost my
temper, and now I’ve lost my compassion.
But the imagery in both Gospels, I think, could also be referring to the
value of focusing on one thing at a time in our spiritual growth. It could
describe the idea that it is legitimate for us to give our undivided attention
to one lost sheep at a time (see True Christianity 530.3, 566.2), and not stress
out too much about all the many sheep that will wander off over the course of
our spiritual life. Though at times it may feel like the 99 are in the wilderness,
the Lord keeps them safe in the mountains, while we go searching for the one.
When we notice a sheep missing in our life, we often use language that
reflects the imagery in this story. We talk about feeling “scattered,” or like
we’re “falling apart.” “So they were scattered because there was no shepherd.”
(Ezekiel 34:5) We can also talk about how we feel like we “don’t have our life
together,” or that “we’re not all there,” or “feeling pulled apart.” Sometimes we
might simply say, “I think I’ve lost it!” What exactly we’ve lost we might have
to stop and think about.
In this story there were 100 sheep. Sometimes we can associate the number
“one hundred” with perfection, like getting “100%” on a test. But bringing the
one lost sheep back into the flock and reuniting the 100 sheep is not about us
achieving some kind of perfect state of goodness in our life.
The teachings for the New Church state that “100” represents a state of
completion or wholeness, (see Secrets of Heaven 3107; Apocalypse Explained
675:1,10), while “99” represents what is not complete or not full yet. (See Secrets
of Heaven 1988.2) Finding the lost sheep is about reconnecting the parts of us
that have been scattered. In fact, the word “religion” means “reconnection,”
and this is the aim of the shepherd in us: to seek the reconnection of all of our
good parts – all of our sheep.
The “shepherd” or “shepherdess” [anthropos; “person”] in us is that part of
us that can notice what is missing, and then compassionately go searching for
it. It’s the part of us that aims for “togetherness and unity” instead of “dispersal
and disjunction,” as was said in one of our lessons. (Secrets of Heaven 343)
The shepherd is that part of us that is truly in the Lord’s image; looking
at our life and other people’s lives with compassion instead of condemnation.
Seeking to find the lost goodness, without spiritual judgment. Seeking to
comfort.
“When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for
them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”
(Matthew 9:36)
In the Matthew version of this parable, the context is the Lord talking
about children: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for
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