Matthew 18:13 (GNV)

Passage

And if so be that he finde it, verely I say vnto you, he reioyceth more of that sheepe, then of the ninetie and nine which went not astray:

Nearby Context

Matthew 18:11 For the Sonne of man is come to saue that which was lost.

Matthew 18:12 How thinke ye? If a man haue an hundreth sheepe, and one of them be gone astray, doeth he not leaue ninetie and nine, and go into the mountaines, and seeke that which is gone astray?

Matthew 18:13 And if so be that he finde it, verely I say vnto you, he reioyceth more of that sheepe, then of the ninetie and nine which went not astray:

Matthew 18:14 So is it not ye wil of your Father which is in heauen, that one of these litle ones should perish.

Matthew 18:15 Moreouer, if thy brother trespasse against thee, goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone: if he heare thee, thou hast wonne thy brother.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "finde", "verely", "vnto", "reioyceth", "sheepe", "ninetie", and "went". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "finde", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "How thinke ye If a man haue..." into verse 14's "So is it not ye wil of...", so "sheep" and "finde" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sheep" and "finde" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.