And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:8-12
There were two messages that I believe the angel told the shepherds that day. The first one is pretty obvious. It goes something like “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The second one, though, may be a little harder to see, but I think you already know what it is. It’s the message that says, “Hey, you’re worth it.”
Many of us know that shepherds were some of the most insignificant people of that time, but it still needs to shake us a bit that these are the first people that God announced His Son’s birth to. These were the rough characters. These were the homeless. You did see that they’re not just working in the field but are actually living there, didn’t you?
It’s interesting that Jesus, in a bunch of His parables, talks about the unlikeliest of people being a part of the kingdom of God. The poor in spirit get in while the rich are like a camel trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle. The tax collectors get in while the Pharisees get a weight thrown around their neck and tossed in the sea. Sure, God isn’t against riches because He’s the One who gives it. But I like what the wise person in Proverbs 30:9 says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”
I guess I just really want to be in a position where nothing – whether money, a relationship, a lack of relationship, a friendship, a possession, a problem, a victory, or anything else – keeps me from being someone God can trust to be listening and be willing to be used. You and me, we’re probably not too special. We’re decently talented. We’re probably pretty nice (or at least we should be or we’re getting coal!). But we could probably be so much more. Well all it took for the shepherds to become so much more was a chance encounter with angelic hosts.
I think chances happen when we position ourselves for them. The shepherds had no clue they were well-positioned. But like a person standing on the Empire State with an umbrella during a thunderstorm, position is everything. Why don’t you take some time today to position your heart and your mind and your strength towards God. I know this whole season is about Him, but go the extra mile and make it actually about Him. Be blown away (again) by how much God loved you to send His Son. Wish Jesus a happy birthday. Tell someone about how much it means to you that God would love someone like you. It almost seems child-like, doesn’t it? I think the shepherds were probably like little kids after they got that message that night. I think there’s something wrong with us when we receive the message of Christmas but don’t actually get it. What’s the message?
“Hey, you unimportant people, I still think you’re worth it.” —God