In this parable, one of the 100 sheep lost its way and fallen down a hill. The shepherd left the 99 sheep in the open country and went after the lost sheep until he found it. 3/6. 3.

The shepherd in the parable has to assume that the 99 sedentary sheep will be able to take care of themselves while he leaves them alone – "in open country," as Luke writes it.

What Jesus wants to teach through the parable is that “no sheep can be lost. ... “Neither can the 99 sheep stop the Shepherd and keep him closed in the flock,” he said, ...

This parable is one of six known as prayer parables: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, The Lost Son, The Pharisee and Tax Collector, The Friend at Midnight, and the Persistent Widow.

Of the many books on the parables, Hear Then the Parable, the 1989 classic by Bernard Brandon Scott ... like the story of the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to search for a single lost sheep.

On Wednesday Pope Francis said the parable of the Good Shepherd is a key example of God’s mercy, because it represents the depth of the Lord's concern in ensuring that no one is lost.

I think it is safe to say from an administrative perspective that the shepherd in this parable is a terrible manager. Who leaves behind 99 sheep to chase after one?