Reaching the shepherds
This week is on Luke 2:8-11:
These verses always remind me of the love of God, and what better time to share them than the week before Christmas?! We all know shepherds were involved in the first "advent" because we always see shepherds in nativity scenes or play them as extras in nativity plays. The thing I like is that God thought of the shepherds and included them in his plan.
The shepherds were the original blue collar workers of the blue collar workers, kind of like the fishermen, but on land. They worked hard following the sheep and fighting off thieves and predators so that the sheep could fulfil their purpose. They were kind of isolated from the heartbeat of high society, so they probably weren't all that educated. These weren't accomplished theologians God sent his angel to address. I've met some shepherds, or cowherds, and they aren't really well respected. For those of you who watch too much American TV, it's kind of like how they portray people in "flyover country" as bumbling ignorant rednecks. Nobody's going to stop up and ask the shepherds if they've seen the messiah. You might as well be asking them to leave Times Square to go ask the man on the street in rural Ohio. What does he know, right?
So here the shepherds were, busting "donkey" to get paid, out amongst the wool factories, isolated from the narrative that most people were part of, and suddenly God's most official messenger and an angelic army show up to deliver the best of news. Were they lost and asking directions? Surely there were plenty of first century Jewish versions of Jack Van Impe studying Old Testament prophets in the hopes of having the scoop on when the Messiah was coming. Why not show up at one of their "Bible schools" to deliver the news? Why not the palace of a king? And yet the first page of God's itinerary for announcing Jesus was "shepherds."
But think about it, when are these guys ever going to get a chance to be part of something? When are they ever going to find the cool new thing before the city folks have already gotten sick of it? The coming of the Messiah is exactly the sort of thing that ordinarily would have passed them by. And yet how God must have loved them to give them a starring role. Just this once, they would be the ones first in line. It's beautiful! They were scared to death, but man, the bragging rights they must have had for the rest of their lives. "Oh you're just finding out about Jesus now? Hmmf. Where have you been?"
It was a message to the shepherds that they were deeply loved. And from their actions you can tell that it was well received. But it was also a message to the sorts of people you would have expected God to go to first, like the theologians. In the same way that it was uplifting to the shepherds to be chosen, it was humbling for certain others to not be chosen. Imagine working your whole life to get somewhere and then seeing someone undeserving get carried past you to take your rightful place! There were people who considered themselves experts in God's plan, or who at least considered themselves to be Very Important People. And yet none of those guys (or gals) were chosen. We don't draw God through our raw efforts and he doesn't follow who is trending, but what a time to learn it the hard way.
God chose shepherds because that's what he wanted at the time. If you're a career kind of person, that probably infuriates you. It says that our efforts and hard work are worthless when it comes down to it, but that's true in a way. The shepherds may as well have been randomly selected for all of the sense it made to choose them. No missions planner or marketing guru would tell you to start with the least connected members of the social graph. The arrival of grace was announced in a graceful way, by giving the greatest honor to the undeserving.
"I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord." Imagine being scared out of your wits, alone in the woods, nobody but your camping buddies to hear you screaming, surrounded by terrifying supernatural beings, and receiving that message. You're hearing it first from the source. It doesn't matter that nobody will believe what you tell them you heard. God has chosen you because he loves you. And that's all that matters.
Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.
These verses always remind me of the love of God, and what better time to share them than the week before Christmas?! We all know shepherds were involved in the first "advent" because we always see shepherds in nativity scenes or play them as extras in nativity plays. The thing I like is that God thought of the shepherds and included them in his plan.
The shepherds were the original blue collar workers of the blue collar workers, kind of like the fishermen, but on land. They worked hard following the sheep and fighting off thieves and predators so that the sheep could fulfil their purpose. They were kind of isolated from the heartbeat of high society, so they probably weren't all that educated. These weren't accomplished theologians God sent his angel to address. I've met some shepherds, or cowherds, and they aren't really well respected. For those of you who watch too much American TV, it's kind of like how they portray people in "flyover country" as bumbling ignorant rednecks. Nobody's going to stop up and ask the shepherds if they've seen the messiah. You might as well be asking them to leave Times Square to go ask the man on the street in rural Ohio. What does he know, right?
So here the shepherds were, busting "donkey" to get paid, out amongst the wool factories, isolated from the narrative that most people were part of, and suddenly God's most official messenger and an angelic army show up to deliver the best of news. Were they lost and asking directions? Surely there were plenty of first century Jewish versions of Jack Van Impe studying Old Testament prophets in the hopes of having the scoop on when the Messiah was coming. Why not show up at one of their "Bible schools" to deliver the news? Why not the palace of a king? And yet the first page of God's itinerary for announcing Jesus was "shepherds."
But think about it, when are these guys ever going to get a chance to be part of something? When are they ever going to find the cool new thing before the city folks have already gotten sick of it? The coming of the Messiah is exactly the sort of thing that ordinarily would have passed them by. And yet how God must have loved them to give them a starring role. Just this once, they would be the ones first in line. It's beautiful! They were scared to death, but man, the bragging rights they must have had for the rest of their lives. "Oh you're just finding out about Jesus now? Hmmf. Where have you been?"
It was a message to the shepherds that they were deeply loved. And from their actions you can tell that it was well received. But it was also a message to the sorts of people you would have expected God to go to first, like the theologians. In the same way that it was uplifting to the shepherds to be chosen, it was humbling for certain others to not be chosen. Imagine working your whole life to get somewhere and then seeing someone undeserving get carried past you to take your rightful place! There were people who considered themselves experts in God's plan, or who at least considered themselves to be Very Important People. And yet none of those guys (or gals) were chosen. We don't draw God through our raw efforts and he doesn't follow who is trending, but what a time to learn it the hard way.
God chose shepherds because that's what he wanted at the time. If you're a career kind of person, that probably infuriates you. It says that our efforts and hard work are worthless when it comes down to it, but that's true in a way. The shepherds may as well have been randomly selected for all of the sense it made to choose them. No missions planner or marketing guru would tell you to start with the least connected members of the social graph. The arrival of grace was announced in a graceful way, by giving the greatest honor to the undeserving.
"I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord." Imagine being scared out of your wits, alone in the woods, nobody but your camping buddies to hear you screaming, surrounded by terrifying supernatural beings, and receiving that message. You're hearing it first from the source. It doesn't matter that nobody will believe what you tell them you heard. God has chosen you because he loves you. And that's all that matters.
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