In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
The first question that came to mind reading this is:
Why did the angel appear to shepherds? Wasn’t this a message all mankind needed to hear?
I got a partial answer when I continued reading, starting with
Luke 2:12-18 “ This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a [f]manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men
with whom He is pleased.”
15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
Though shepherds were not a highly appreciated class of Jewish society at the time, God knew their hearts! That’s partially why He selected David (a shepherd boy) to become King of Israel!
Shepherds loved God’s creation. Especially whatever animal it was they were shepherding. They would take on lions to protect their flock. They cared for their flock, making sure they had food and drink and, as much as possible, shelter from weather. They tended to their flock when an animal was sick and if one went missing, they would leave all the herd to find the one stray. If a member of the flock was persistently unruly, they would break the lamb’s leg and carry it over their shoulder till the leg healed and thereby establish a trust relationship. But there is more … they didn’t just accept news; they went to see if things were so! And still more … they had the hearts of children if they had something good to share, nothing would stop them from sharing with anyone they knew or who crossed their path! That’s why Jesus is often portrayed as the Good Sheperd – He was all of that!
The news was for ALL the people. Shepherds were the first true evangelists!
Let’s see ourselves as shepherds! We have to be (become) bringers of the “Good News”. We have to be (become) the “Good News” and live our lives in such a way that people believe us when we tell them about the “Good News” and that they trust us with their problems and needs so we can pray for them and steer them toward God, the ultimate “Good Shepherd”.
Have A Blessed Day and A Merry Christmas!