trbccoffeebreak

“And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.”   Luke 2:17-18 (ESV)

My favorite part of the Christmas story is the Shepherds. Since I was a little girl fighting my sister to set up the manger scene each year, it has always been the shepherds. Our set had a tall shepherd man with a sweet lamb wrapped around his shoulders. The shepherd’s hands were up holding that lamb tightly and the shepherd had a gentle smile on his face. Somehow my little girl mind knew that smile was how God looked at me, and I have always known He has held me tightly all these years.

That is a wonderful memory, yet as I have grown up,  the shepherds have remained my favorite part of the Christmas story because nothing made sense, yet they never questioned it, they just went with God! If only I could live that way!

On a very normal night,  like so many others they had experienced, they were ‘just’ doing their job. They are keeping the sheep safe. They are guarding them, keeping eyes wide open for wild animals, and trying to stay warm. All they did that night was show up to work. Then one angel appears and explains to them what is happening in a barn not far away.  Then the sky fills with angels celebrating that their King has come to Earth while the shepherds hold tight and watch this pop-up concert in the stars. We have no idea how long this concert lasted. Suddenly the sky is dark again and the shepherds make the bold decision to go see this miracle-this precious Baby, our Savior. They don’t hesitate, they don’t look for help for the sheep, they just go! The Bible does not tell us if they talked with Mary or Joseph or even bowed down, as the Wise Men would later do, it just says they saw Him.

Luke 2:17 tells us the shepherds “made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. All those who heard it marveled at those things which were told to them by the shepherds.”   The message states, “They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the shepherds were impressed.”

So the overcrowded town of Bethlehem heard what happened on the hillside, and they marveled or were impressed, but THEY DID NOT GO! They were in the same town where the King of Kings was born, they knew about it, they thought it was cool, and then they did nothing about it. NOTHING!!!

Can you imagine the shepherds going from door to door or inn to inn telling everyone what they had seen and everyone listened, they were impressed, but they continued on without allowing this news to change their lives.

Deep breath-what do you know about Jesus? What have you heard about Him? Have these things changed your life? The Bethlehemites knew He was born and heard about His miraculous announcement, but it did not change anything about their life. It was a fun story and they were glad they heard it, maybe they even told others as they headed back home about it, but it did not cause their actions to change.

The poor, stinky shepherds allowed the news to change their lives. Do we?

“Father, let our hearts and lives be changed by your arrival in this world.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson
TRBC Women’s Life