The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
—Luke 19:10
In Luke 15, Jesus delivered a trilogy about a lost sheep from a flock of 100, a lost coin from a collection of ten, and a lost son from a party of two.
A mathematician would note that the lost sheep was a one percent loss, the lost coin a ten percent loss, and the lost son a fifty percent loss—a cold interpretation that wouldn’t sit well with those who suffered the loss.
It would bring no contentment to the shepherd to point out that he still had ninety-nine percent of his flock.
It would be no comfort to the woman to tell her that ninety percent of her money was still safe.
It would be no consolation to the father to remind him that he still had fifty percent of his family at home.
Forget percentages—lost is lost.