This parable, called "The Lost Sheep" might also be called "The Shepherd’s Joy" because the happiness of the shepherd in finding the lost sheep is comparable to the happiness of the father who received home his lost son.
Pasture was scarce in Judea. The narrow central plateau was only a few miles wide, and then it plunged down the wild and rugged cliffs to the desert below. There were no restraining walls to confine the sheep. They wandered, and that made the job of the shepherd both difficult and dangerous. Also, the shepherd was personally responsible for the sheep. If a sheep were lost, the shepherd must at least bring home the fleece to show that it had died. There was not a shepherd who would hesitate to lay down his life for his sheep.
In this panel, the shepherd strides home with the lost sheep across his shoulders. His presence was sufficient to summon a shout of joy and thanksgiving from the community. That was the picture that Jesus wanted to create. God loves the folk who never stray away, but in the heart of God there is joy of joys when one lost person is found and comes home.
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