Drawing on the realities of pastoral life, Jesus said: “If a certain man comes to have a hundred sheep and one of them gets strayed, will he not leave the ninety-nine upon the mountains and set out on a search for the one that is straying?

Matthew 18:12

The shepherd felt a sense of responsibility toward each of his sheep. If a sheep strayed, he would know which one was missing. He knew each sheep by the name he had given it. (John 10:3) The caring shepherd would not rest until the wanderer was back in the flock. By going out to look for the stray, he would not be endangering the 99 left behind. Shepherds often stayed together, allowing their flocks to mingle.a So the shepherd who set off in search of a stray could temporarily leave his remaining sheep in the care of his fellow shepherds.