Di Lost Sheep and Di Lost Coin

Ninety-nine sheep, dey eat grass for di side of di hill. One no dey. Somewhere for di hills wey dey dark, one sheep dey cry, and nobody fit hear am except di one wey don come find am.

All kinds of people dey crowd round Jesus to hear am. Tax collectors, wey most people see as cheats and traitors. And other people wey everybody just dey call sinners. Jesus welcome dem. E even sit down eat with dem. And for di edge of di crowd, some Pharisees and teachers of di law dey murmur among demself. Dis man dey welcome sinners, and e dey eat with dem. Jesus hear dem. So e tell dem one story.

Imagine say one of una get one hundred sheep, and one of dem lost. One shepherd dey count im sheep as di day dey end. Ninety-seven. Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine. E count again. Ninety-nine. One don go. Jesus ask, una no go leave di ninety-nine for open field and go find di lost one until una find am? So di shepherd go, enter di hills as di light dey go down, dey call, dey listen, dey search behind rocks and inside di valleys.

And then, e dey there. E don tire, fear dey catch am, e weak reach di point wey e no fit waka. Di shepherd no scold am. E carry am up and put am for im shoulders, with joy. E carry am reach house. Then e call im friends and neighbours together. Make una rejoice with me! I don find my sheep wey lost! And Jesus talk, Na so too, joy go dey for heaven over one sinner wey repent, pass ninety-nine righteous people wey no need to repent.

Then Jesus tell di second story. Dis time, na woman dey search. Imagine say one woman get ten silver coins and one lost. Picture her small house. Thick stone walls. Floor wey dem make with beaten earth. Window almost no dey to bring light. Somewhere inside dat darkness, one small coin dey. So she light lamp. She take her broom and sweep every corner, slowly, carefully, dey listen for di small sound of silver. She no give up.

Kling. E dey there! She carry am quick, hold am near di lamp, and laugh loud. Then she dey for door, dey call her friends and neighbours. Make una rejoice with me! I don find my coin wey lost! And Jesus talk, Na so too, I tell una, joy dey before di angels of God over one sinner wey repent. Di people wey dey complain don get dem answer. Di people wey Jesus dey eat with no be problem to complain about. Dem be di lost ones wey God don dey search for. And when God find dem, heaven go celebrate.

Di coin for dis story na drachma, one Greek silver coin. E worth almost di same as one Roman denarius, and di Gospel of Matthew show denarius as di pay for one day work for labourer wey dey work for farm. So dis woman don lose like one day pay. For family wey no get much, ten coins fit be big part of wetin dem save. No wonder she light lamp, even though oil dey cost money, and sweep until she find am.

Di Lost Sheep and Di Lost Coin. You go find dem for Luke chapter fifteen, verse one to ten. One shepherd wey search di hills. One woman wey sweep di whole house. Di two of dem refuse to give up, and di two of dem celebrate when dem find wetin lost. Jesus talk say na so heaven dey feel about one person wey come back home to God. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who you know wey fit dey feel say e don lost, and how you fit help am feel say dem don find am?