Luke 2:8-15 (New International Version, ©2010)
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
As amazing as the Christmas Story is. My favorite part is about the Shepherds. I just can't understand why God chose to proclaim his message to these poor, lowly shepherds before anyone else. He didn't just tell them what happened. The birth of the savior was ushered in by a company of Angels. Only one other time in the Bible do you ever have Angels appearing in such a group. So, he chose to bring this amazing message in spectacular fashion.
These shepherds were desert dwellers not unlike the Bedouins of the middle east. When you're a desert dweller, herding sheep, you just might have a unique odor to you and you probably have some unique social skills. My guess is you don't make it to the big city very often. Yet, through all of this God chose them to be the first to witness the birth of Jesus.
If that doesn't fill you with hope nothing will. God cares for everyone. He has no limits to his love and if he chooses Shepherds to celebrate with at the birth of his son, he certainly cares for you and me. These Shepherds were NOBODY. Do you know someone who is a "Nobody"? If they don't fit into your social click, do you just ignore them like their invisible? Maybe if we want to really share the Christmas Spirit, we should make sure that no one is ignored, no one is left out, no one is invisible. The homeless, the garbage man, the UPS man, the mailman, the hog farmer, the cab driver, the school bus driver, the school custodian or cafeteria worker are all invisible people to most of us. How many of these people have you taken time to get to know? How many of them have you ever tried to engage in a significant conversation? The Christmas story started with the Shepherds and should continue to the ends of the Earth. It's not just for a privileged few.
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