The Parable of the Respectable People

The Parable of the Respectable People
 
And the teacher told them this parable..
 
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them---what do you do?
 
Do you leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it? No, because you still have ninety-nine sheep, and you must think of them. What does it matter if just one gets lost along the way?
 
And when your sheep are inspected by the overseer, he will be so happy that you have your ninety-nine sheep, that he won't be too concerned about the missing sheep. Instead, he will make arrangements for other shepherds to look out for the lost sheep and care for it if they can find it.
 
Then you call your friends and neighbours together and say to them, 'I am so happy I have a report from the overseer, and everything is as it should be. Let us celebrate!'
 
In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy on earth over the ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent than the one homeless sinner who repents.