We live in a world where people often support the politics of the majority. Many people consciously or unconsciously assume that always the majority decision is right. This is called democracy. Do you think that always the majority is right?
When we believe that the majority is always right we give prominence to the majority and neglect the minority. In the story of the lost coin and the lost sheep in the Bible (St. Luke’s gospel) we are reminded that this is a contrariety to the gospel values. The woman who had 10 coins was concerned about that one lost coin. That shepherd who had 100 sheep was worried about that one lost sheep. The Women were concerned about 10%. The shepherd was worried about just 1%.
By narrating these two parables Jesus wanted to emphasize an important teaching and a value of the kingdom of God. That is the importance of minorities. Actually, not just minorities but the weak, hidden, rejected, and lost minorities.
If you notice the gradual development of these parables narrated by Jesus in St. Luke’s gospel, we can see that these two short stories of the coin and the sheep prepare the context for the next important parable “ The parable of the lost son – commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son”. See, here Jesus starts with a lost thing – a coin: then a lost animal – a sheep: and finally a lost human being – a son.
Some scholars suggest that this is the climax of the third gospel or St. Luke’s gospel. Why do they suggest this? If you look at this gospel it is very clear that the writer portrays Jesus as the savior for the whole world by starting His genealogy from Adam the “father of the human race”. In this gospel, Jesus is concerned about the whole human race, not just one chosen ethnic group.
In this particular background, the writer goes a step further and shows that Jesus was especially concerned about the rejected and the lost minority who were called sinners by others in that society.
Who were these people – tax collectors who collected taxes for the Roman imperial government, women, prostitutes, lepers, and so on? When Jesus associated with them the majority even wanted to reject Jesus. But Jesus announced and pronounced that he came for sinners. He said that the physician is for sick people so came to save sinners.
Today as the disciples of Jesus are we concerned about the so-called sinners? Are we concerned about weak minorities? Yes, often as His disciples we try to help them. But remember Jesus not just helped them but he accepted them and was with them. This is the call for us today. To accept them and to be with them.
Jesus by being with the women caught in adultery and with Zacchaeus the tax collector changed their lives and accepted them into His fellowship.
As His followers let’s make every effort to be with these ethnically, socially, and culturally weak and rejected minorities and to enable them to become accepted members of society. Even as a country let’s remember that when we pass legislations we have a greater responsibility to safeguard and rights and dignity of minorities.