100 Sheep

One Hundred Sheep

Jesus loved to tell stories with special
Meanings. One day He told this story

"Think of yourself as a shepherd," Jesus said. "You have
100 Sheep in your flock. You make sure they have the best
Grass, and you always get them cool water. You even know
Each sheep by sight. And you love all your sheep equally
"Every night, when your sheep go to sleep, you make
Sure to count all 100 of them. You lock them in
Their gate, and the sheep are safe for the night

"But one night, you count all your sheep, and you only get to 99
You have a sheep that is lost. You don't say, 'Well, that's okay
Ninety-nine is good enough.' Of course you don't! You get up and
Find the lost sheep. You search and you search for that lost sheep
And when you find it, you tell everyone that you are so happy!"

Then Jesus explained the meaning of the story. Jesus said, "God is
The shepherd, and the people are His sheep. If one goes against
God, he is like a sheep that is lost. When that person is sorry
It is like a sheep returning to his shepherd. That makes God happy
God is like a shepherd who always welcomes back his lost sheep."