This parable fits into the context of Matthew 18. At the beginning of the chapter the disciples ask Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (v. 1). Jesus answers: (1) the one who is humble, like a little child (vv. 2-9); (2) the one who cares for the weak or lost believer (vv. 10-14); and (3) the one who forgives other people (vv. 15-20).
There is probably no image of the protecting care of God for his people in the Bible that is more greatly loved than that of the shepherd and his sheep. What Christian can mention God as shepherd without thinking of the Twenty-third Psalm: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want" (v. 1)? Or the tenth chapter of John where Jesus applied the image to himself: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (v. 11)?
In today's world charity is practiced on a wide scale and is thought to be the natural product of the innate benevolence of the human spirit. Actually, that is not so. True charity came into the world through Christianity, and the charity we see today - in the United Way, in the Red Cross, in hospitals, in benevolent foundations, in government - is purely a by-product of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is not difficult to find examples of people who have allowed the love of money to ruin their spirituality and to nullify the effect of their witness. History is full of such examples, and they come from our time also. In the book of Joshua we are told of the sin of Achan that caused the defeat of the armies of Israel at Ai. Israel had just been victorious at Jericho and had dedicated the spoil of the battle to God, as God had indicated. But there was a scar on the victory.
Fifth, we shall not lack provision. The Twenty-third Psalm says, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows" (v. 5). Keller sees this as the shepherd’s preparation of the high table lands or mesas where the sheep graze in summer. A good shepherd will prepare these before the sheep arrive, removing physical hazards, destroying poisonous plants and driving predators away. Keller also has a chapter in which he describes how ancient shepherds used a mixture of olive oil, sulphur, and spices to protect their sheep from insects and promote healing from infectious skin diseases.
