Matthew 18:13 (KJV)

Passage

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

Nearby Context

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

Matthew 18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

Matthew 18:13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

Matthew 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "find", "verily", "rejoiceth", "than", "ninety", and "went". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "find", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "How think ye if a man have..." into verse 14's "Even so it is not the will...", so "sheep" and "find" 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 "find" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.