馬太福音第十八章第11—14節,耶穌說他來是要拯救那些走迷路(即失喪)的人。耶穌在這裏打了一個比喻,說一個人一百隻羊裏有一隻走迷路了,他要撇下那九十九隻去山裏把它找回,找到後就為這隻找回的羊歡喜。那九十九隻沒迷路的羊卻很悲催,因為它們被撇在了曠野。其實耶穌用這九十九隻羊比喻那些自以為義自認為自己沒迷路的,而羅馬書裏說“沒有義人,連一個也沒有,都是偏離正路”,以賽亞書更是直接說“我們都如羊走迷,個人偏行己路”。因此,這讓我們明白了為什麽這九十九隻沒迷路的羊不能得救。
太18:11 〔人子來為要拯救失喪的人〕
For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.
太18:12 一個人若有一百隻羊、一隻走迷了路、你們的意思如何.他豈不撇下這九十九隻、往山裏去找那隻迷路的羊麽。
"What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?
太18:13 若是找著了、我實在告訴你們、他為這一隻羊歡喜、比為那沒有迷路的九十九隻歡喜還大呢。
If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.
太18:14 你們在天上的父、也是這樣不願意這小子裏失喪一個。
Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.