A free person always recognizes the goodness in others. Even in the most appalling conditions, a person’s inner value remains precious. Humanity is lost when it values objects more than fellow humans. The eternal truth is that no value surpasses that of the people around us. Enlightenment means focusing on solving the problems faced by others rather than obsessing over amassing wealth for oneself. Therefore, the maxim is to treat others as one would like to be treated. Through Jesus, God exhibited this attribute, though without considering the corruption inherent in us.
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:5-8 NKJV).
God created the precious stones that adorn this world and the glamour in its outlook. Those who value admirable objects perish, leaving them behind. Such considered valuable things are also susceptible to theft and circumstantial changes. Events such as war and natural disasters also reduce them to irrelevance, leaving life to be the only quality in need of protection. The arrival of Jesus shows Him as not placing any value on gemstones. Time is the most limiting factor when pursuing valuable considerations in this world. We must regard Jesus’ viewpoints in His extensive teachings about life, ahead of the perishable things of this world. Jesus’ teachings were mostly rooted in common sense rather than in considerations of things beyond this world.
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:35-38 NKJV).
Jesus’ teachings suggest that the physical body is of little importance, as evidenced by the fact that it must eventually be buried. One may be the most handsome or beautiful person the world has ever known, but the physical condition will still perish, whether due to old age or by accident. Therefore, Jesus’ teachings emphasize that the physical body is destined to perish, and placing value on it is as unreasonable as placing value on physical objects such as gold. Jesus’ teachings focused on eternity rather than transient objects, including physical bodies. Thus, whether one is a genius in some activity, Jesus did not regard that as indicative of a valuable quality in a person.
Why would a person feel ashamed of Jesus? This is not difficult to understand, as discussing matters that lack physical existence can render a person a laughing stock. Spiritual matters hold no relevance to those focused on physical survival. When attracting many people, the person might not be communicating spiritual things. Those of this world resonate well with those communicating matters associated with this world. To be understood by such people, Jesus had to teach and preach in parables.
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:4-6 NKJV).
Jesus employed parables to reach those who were still unaware of the gemstone within their physical condition. He was not overly concerned about those who did not understand Him, as He knew that without proper timing, He risked losing the gemstone. Each person bears the gemstone within them but requires precious timing to access it. The act of redeeming the precious gemstone was so complex that He had to permit His body to be crucified. This exercise was highly delicate but equally important, as He recognized the value of the gemstone in humanity to be worth accessing eternity.
“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbours together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:8-10 NKJV).
The work of Jesus can be likened to a perilous endeavour, requiring one to face death before obtaining the precious gemstone. Many worldly things were deemed desirable, but such matters did not concern Jesus, who remained focused on the unique and precious gemstone. It is worth noting that during Jesus’ time, many people were considered worth reaching out to. The Jews sought to impress Him by suggesting that He should not associate with those deemed sinners. Their exhibition of moral superiority complicated their potential acquisition of the precious yet elusive gemstone. He had to employ an appropriate parable to convey the significance of the implied precious gemstone.
Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He spoke this parable to them, saying: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:1-7 NKJV).
Something seems amiss, revealing the complexity of the gemstone. Under normal circumstances, what shepherd would leave ninety-nine sheep vulnerable to wolves to search for one? He even hosts a lavish party, expressing unprecedented celebration over just one sheep. Then Jesus emphasizes that there would be heavenly joy over one sinner repenting rather than over the ninety-nine. The cursory impression is that the ninety-nine were safe, but attaining the elusive gemstone was not as easy as assumed. Only God knows the gemstone’s value in humanity, having committed His only begotten Son to such a delicate undertaking.
Parables are not meant to be understood by ordinary people. There is no doubt that in that parable many are convinced that the scribes and Pharisees were safely ensconced in God’s protection. When considering the complexity of the gemstone, one can easily notice that those religious leaders were far from being included in the equation. The ninety-nine had no value, necessary for the consideration of the precious gemstone.
The lost sheep was deemed unworthy of possessing the precious gemstone due to his wayward life. However, Jesus illustrates that there was indeed a value that could trigger spontaneous Heavenly joy. The scribes and Pharisees had already dismissed the one sinner that Jesus referred to. These scribes and Pharisees were not a cause for Heavenly celebration, as they were known to have participated in Jesus’ crucifixion. God disqualified them on a technicality, despite being considered virtuous by many.
Jesus was not declaring tolerance for a sinful life. That is why He speaks of the lost sheep being vulnerable to wolves but rescued on the condition of repentance, which is key. However, it is necessary to outline the terms of repentance, as these have nothing to do with strict observance of the law. If that were the case, the scribes and Pharisees would not have condemned Jesus on the cross. Jesus still expected those scribes and Pharisees to repent similarly to that one sinner lost on the side of the mountain. The concept of repentance was perfectly illustrated to one of the senior members of the Pharisees.
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:1-8NKJV).
Nicodemus had the potential to incite angelic celebrations. Jesus diligently outlined the terms and conditions, revealing that all of humanity was uniformly considered. The comparable conditions are: flesh and Spirit. Therefore, repentance implies transitioning from being flesh to being Spirit. There can be no simpler illustration. Nicodemus may have been among those whom Jesus described in His parable as representing the ninety-nine sheep. Hence, the Pharisaic leader found Jesus’ words perplexing and continued to probe Him for more information.
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”(John 3:9-15NKJV).
Indeed, the Pharisaic ruler received more than he had anticipated. As Nicodemus persisted in questioning Jesus, it became necessary for Jesus to be forthright, even disclosing that He had come directly from God. However, Jesus could not be perceived by physical humans, as the Spirit is distinct from the flesh and observable to fleshly people. Confusion may have arisen from Jesus’ appearance as flesh, but He was there to assist Nicodemus, who, at that time, appeared to be a genuine inquirer.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone practising evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:16-21 NKJV).
That conversation, between Jesus and Nicodemus, revealed the mystery of all ages. There was no reason to remain mystified. The narrative concerning the ninety-nine sheep left by the shepherd going for one lost in the mountainside begins to make sense. All humans are collectively regarded as lost in the condition of being flesh. The service of Jesus is to redeem them from their condition of being flesh. It can only be the arrogant one who remains entangled in fleshly conditions when Jesus has plainly put it. Repentance is about being transformed from being fleshly to being Spiritual.
This makes it impossible for any person still living in the flesh to condemn another who is also in the flesh. Therefore, it takes a spiritual person to recognize the precious gemstone in another as God sees it. Our physical eyes are limited to what is perceived physically, thus failing to see the precious gemstone that led God to send His only begotten Son as the sacrificial lamb for our redemption. What remains is for us to renounce pretences and adopt the condition that gives us the only hope, as provided by Jesus.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing relief to those having witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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