Restoring "the Least"

As we were translating from Luke 7:28 the mother tongue translators spent a lot of time discussing an appropriate term for “the least”. What did "the least" mean? "The least" in social status? "The least" in capability? "The least" in age? "The least" honored? Their culture had different words depending on the meaning. They ended up deciding on a word that encompassed the Biblical meaning after much discussion of various words and their usage by different groups of people within their language group.

When they had the word one of the translators said all of Luke 7:28 (GNT) in their language. “I tell you,” Jesus added, “John is greater than anyone who has ever lived. But the one who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she pulled up in her chair shouting “WOW! WOW!”

This shocked us as she was usually very quiet. She continues to shout, “This is us! This is us! This is me and all my people! We are looked down on like rubbish. We are discriminated against. We are the least, and Jesus says we are greater than John!!!!" All of us began to cry and laugh as we soaked in her testimony of her revelation of how God sees her and her people. What a transformational moment; a powerful moment of healing and restoration of identity, dignity and value!

May we continue to pray for this translation, the translators and the people group in Australia that they may continue to receive healing and restoration as the Word of God is translated and captured by them.