The great joy Jesus and the Father feel over the reclaiming of just one lost sheep and just one lost coin makes a lot more sense if the sermon is illustrated with some historical data. Non-farming communities need to be reminded that sheep are communal animals. They are vulnerable to predators if not part of a flock. To be a lost sheep is to be an inevitably dead sheep, while the 99 left in the flock are pretty much safe. To find a lost sheep was a veritable resurrection, a reclaiming from the dead. No wonder our Lord is so pleased to find one of us sheep who has been lost!
