Who was in Bethlehem? (part 2)

Luke 2:8, 15–20

In Genesis 46, as Jacob and his family make their way into Egypt, Joseph reveals to them his plan. He tells his family, "So it shall be, when Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ that you shall say, ‘Your servants’ occupation has been with livestock from our youth even till now, both we and also our fathers,’ that you may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians" (Genesis 46:33-34). Shepherds seem to have had a bad reputation in antiquity. It was the story of Jesus's birth, the spread of Christianity, and time that led people to believe they were cute, loveable, and respectable people. Not to mention, a few Christmas pageants with children in bathrobes playing them.

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8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ....

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Luke 2:8, 15-20

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Thinking about Joseph's brothers again, they had quite a resume of bad behavior when they were watching their sheep. They killed all the men in a village. Judah went looking for a prostitute and had incest with his daughter-in-law. They planned to murder Joseph, but then decided to sell him into slavery. The whole reason Joseph was going to check on his brothers was because Jacob knew those boys were bad news.

Another story about shepherds in the Bible comes from Exodus 2. After killing an Egyptian, Moses ran away to Midian. As he sat down to rest, he saw seven female shepherds coming to a well to water their sheep. As they started, male shepherds came and ran them away from the well. Moses intervened, and helped the women water their sheep. From that encounter, he was given one of those girls to marry, and he went to work for their father. Shepherding became his refuge as a runaway murderer.

By the time we get to the New Testament, things are no better for shepherds. They were considered so untrustworthy that they could not testify in Jewish court. I guess to think of someone that untrustworthy we would have to imagine a politician in our day. Regardless, no one believed the testimony of a shepherd. So, isn't it interesting that God chose shepherds to be the first witnesses of His Son's birth!

The shepherds are in the field one night when suddenly an angel appeared to them. Once the message was delivered, the shepherds went to the manger where Jesus had been born. After seeing the child, they did two things. First, they went and told everyone they could what they had witnessed. No doubt the people blew them off with their wild stories of angels and the Son of God being born in a barn. Still, they shared the good news.

The second thing they did was worship God. Who were they to receive such a message and to get to witness the birth of the Messiah? Why had God chosen them? Who would ever believe them? Yet, they were overflowing with joy because He had. With this much joy, all they could do was praise God. I wonder if they felt like Hagar in the wilderness when God told her that He saw her? She named that place Beer Lahai Roi, because she said, "You are the God who sees" (Genesis 16:13). I wonder if they thought, "You are the God who sees us"?

Even at His birth, Jesus was destroying "the wisdom of the wise", and bringing "to nothing the understanding of the prudent" (I Corinthians 1:19). We might wonder why He would do this, but aren't you glad He did? By going to the most lowly of people, He made it clear that no one was excluded from the Gospel message. Like the shepherds, we need to "Go tell it on the mountain"!

Father, we thank You that salvation is not just for the rich and powerful. It is not only for the holy and righteous. You sent Your Son to the world and included the lowly and wretched to be among the first to come to Christ.