Texts in Conversation
In Matthew and Luke, the lost sheep is simply one of the flock. In the Gospel of Thomas, the one that wanders off is the largest, and the shepherd values it more highly than the rest.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Matthew 18:12
New Testament
10 “See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 12 What do you think? If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost. 15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have regained your brother.
Luke 15:4
New Testament
3 So Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go look for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 Then when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 Returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.
Gospel of Thomas 1:107
Nag Hammadi
106 Jesus said, “When you make the two one, you will become children of man, and when you say, ‘Mountain, move!’ it will move.” 107 Jesus said, “The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, wandered off. He left the ninety-nine and sought the one until he found it. After he had labored, he said to the sheep, ‘I love you more than the ninety-nine.’” 108 Jesus said, “Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me; I myself shall become that one, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him.”
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Notes and References
“... There are major similarities among the four versions, and there are some important differences as well. In regard to the similarities, the following can be listed. 1. The story begins with a shepherd who has a hundred sheep, but has lost one of them. 2. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and goes searching for the one that had been lost. 3. The shepherd finds the one that had been lost. 4. The story ends with a comment on the shepherd's reaction to having found the one that had been lost. [...] 4. The sheep that is lost is simply one in the flock for Luke and the Gospel of Truth. In Matthew's version the lost sheep is also any one of the flock, but the closing application (18:14) implies that it is one of the little ones of the flock (see below). In the Gospel of Thomas, on the other hand, the one lost is “the largest” and valued more highly than the others. [...] The significance of the versions in the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Truth has been assessed in different ways. In the former, as indicated, the one lost is the largest and the most valued of the flock. Therefore it is no surprise that the shepherd goes looking for it. As many interpreters have claimed, the largest sheep probably symbolizes the gnostic Christian, who is valued more highly than ordinary Christians. ...”
Hultgren, Arland J.
The Parables of Jesus: A Commentary
(pp. 49-51) William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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