Lost Sheep of Israel

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"Lost Sheep"?

1 a lost sheep

“Lost Sheep of the House of Israel”

Jesus ﷺ said,

“I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”

(Matthew 15:24)

Jesus ﷺ, used a comparison they knew all about . . .

Sheep herding was part of their daily life, and Torah
often compared Israel to sheep under God’s care . .

(example: Psalms 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd”).

2 sheep slant 500

Broader Meaning of ‘LOST’

  • In Ezekiel 34:11–12, Allah speaks through the prophet:
    “I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them . . I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered.”
    This was hundreds of years before Jesus, showing continuity.

  • The Quran uses very similar imagery:

    “And indeed, you were before that among the lost, so He guided you.”

    👉 ReciteQuran.com/2:198 (click)

👉 This shows the “lost” are spiritually

misled . . not missing on earth!

6 sheeps blue sky

Parable of the 'Lost Sheep'

  • Matt: 18:12–14 and Luke 15:3–7 have this parable:

    “If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go into the mountains to seek the one that is straying?"

    "And if he finds it… he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine which did not go astray."

    "Even so, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

  • Here, the “lost sheep” is the Israelites who had wandered spiritually, falling into corruption or neglecting God’s covenant.

👉 Direct connection: This parable explains his mission statement. He wasn’t chasing Gentiles or Romans.
He was gathering stray Israelites back to the 'Way'.

shepherd asleep sheep lost 2

Spiritual Priority

  • Jesus (peace be upon him) was saying:
    “My job is not to rule over Rome or fix politics — my mission is to bring back the people of Israel who strayed from Allah’s covenant.”

  • Just like the shepherd risks everything for the one sheep, he devoted himself to reviving the faith of his own community.

lost sheep found

Conclusion

The phrase “lost sheep of the house of Israel” and the parable of the Lost Sheep are two sides of the same coin:

  • Mission Statement: Jesus was sent only to Israel.

  • Parable: A shepherd seeking one stray sheep.

  • Quranic Parallel: Allah guiding those who were “lost.”

 *     *     *     *     *

lost sheep shepherds playing cards

(Some just don't want to be guided)

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