What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost. (Mt 18:12-14)
General opinion is that the owner seeks after the lost. This is not the message or the view of Jesus but of everyone and that is why he says ‘what is your opinion’ and answers himself. It is one sentence parable but communicates strongly the common usage and the general opinion.
There is celebration and rejoicing over finding the lost. This is also the general practice among the people. It is not just the satisfaction of having found the lost rather it is the celebration and rejoicing at having found the lost. Luke will beautifully expand this into three stories wit more details.
The general practice or the general opinion is what one does when the person who is lost is found. God does the same. God rejoices over the finding of the lost or no one should be lost. The quality of seeking after the lost is the quality of God. When someone does seek after the lost he behaves like God and he is Godly. God is present in the person who goes after the lost.
