Date: 24 December 2023
Author: Bill Buchanan
Text: Luke 2:8-20 (NRSV)
8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before 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, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[b] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,[c] praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”[d]
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
Title: Listen to the Shepherds
One of the things I’ve always loved about Luke’s version of the birth narrative is this story about the shepherds and angels. I don’t claim to be familiar with the life of shepherds in that time. But I think it’s safe to say that watching sheep during the night was not a glamorous job. It was probably pretty boring 99% of the time, and maybe a bit terrifying for 1% of the time, when a predator tried to approach the flock in the middle of the night. Perhaps an appropriate parallel to these shepherds in this time and culture might be security guards working the night shift at a warehouse. It’s honest work, but not a high powered job or prestigious position.
And yet it is to these folks that God sends an important message. Not to the powerful in Jerusalem, nor to the purest or most pious of the prophets or priests. The good news of the savior of the world, the hope for the future, is not from the power center. Instead, the message comes to those on the outskirts, the no name. They get to experience the glory of the heavenly host. They are the couriers of the message that the kingdom of God is at hand.
We are living in a tumultuous time, with lots of bad news and very little confidence in our institutions. Where do we look for the message of a more hopeful future? Luke would tell us to look for Jesus to show up on the margins. God’s glory and God’s message of salvation comes to those who are considered “inconsequential.” How can we open our eyes and ears, hearts and minds, to those whom the world ignores or overlooks?
Prayer:
God, help us to be open to the unexpected places where your glory is revealed. Help us to hear your message of hope through those we are conditioned to overlook. Guide us to the margins where we can see that the kingdom of God is at hand.
Author: Bill Buchanan
Text: Luke 2:8-20 (NRSV)
8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before 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, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[b] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,[c] praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”[d]
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
Title: Listen to the Shepherds
One of the things I’ve always loved about Luke’s version of the birth narrative is this story about the shepherds and angels. I don’t claim to be familiar with the life of shepherds in that time. But I think it’s safe to say that watching sheep during the night was not a glamorous job. It was probably pretty boring 99% of the time, and maybe a bit terrifying for 1% of the time, when a predator tried to approach the flock in the middle of the night. Perhaps an appropriate parallel to these shepherds in this time and culture might be security guards working the night shift at a warehouse. It’s honest work, but not a high powered job or prestigious position.
And yet it is to these folks that God sends an important message. Not to the powerful in Jerusalem, nor to the purest or most pious of the prophets or priests. The good news of the savior of the world, the hope for the future, is not from the power center. Instead, the message comes to those on the outskirts, the no name. They get to experience the glory of the heavenly host. They are the couriers of the message that the kingdom of God is at hand.
We are living in a tumultuous time, with lots of bad news and very little confidence in our institutions. Where do we look for the message of a more hopeful future? Luke would tell us to look for Jesus to show up on the margins. God’s glory and God’s message of salvation comes to those who are considered “inconsequential.” How can we open our eyes and ears, hearts and minds, to those whom the world ignores or overlooks?
Prayer:
God, help us to be open to the unexpected places where your glory is revealed. Help us to hear your message of hope through those we are conditioned to overlook. Guide us to the margins where we can see that the kingdom of God is at hand.
Bill Buchanan is Executive Director of the non-profit ministry Youth Mission Co. He is an ordained pastor, a Christian educator, and an avid lover of music, good food, and fun with friends.
