A king holding a court to honour a scholar, gave a bag full of gold coins. As the king gave, one coin fell and rolled under the throne of the king. The scholar immediately bent, reached the coin by lying on the floor and retrieved it. The king was embarrassed, “As our guest, you need not have done this. My servants could have retrieved it.” The scholar said: “Yes, it is possible for your servant to retrieve. If someone stamps on the coin, your image will be trampled. One coin is highly valuable, because your image is in it.” King was indeed pleased.
God has created humans in His image. Each person is precious because of that image.
1) Lost coin: The coin was lost under the throne of the king and it was retrieved. In the Parable of Lost coin, the virgin who lost it went in search of the coin. (Luke 15:8-10) In the same way, humans are like lost coins. As the virgin lighted the lamp, swept the floor to search for it; God sent His Son Lord Jesus Christ as Light of the World, to retrieve humanity by the death on the cross, burial and resurrection.
2) Last coin: All coins bear the image of the king. All humans are created in His image. God loves each individual and wants them to repent and receive the gift of salvation. The Church must be concerned about the people who are unserved or unreached. The gospel must reach the last person in any remote corner of the world.
3) Least coin: When a king mints coins, there would be different values for different coins according to metal, size, shape, and weight. However, even the smallest valued coin bears the image of the king. In the same manner, the least among humans are precious in God’s sight. People who are in hunger and thirst, or sick or strangers (immigrants, refugees, exiled, victimized, marginalized) or confined or restrained or imprisoned; all are termed as the least. (Matthew 25:40,45)
Do I treat all with dignity and serve all?