Yuletide - King Herod and His Advisors - An Adventure in Missing the Point

"In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 

'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" 

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path."

Matthew 2:1-12

It's important to counter the Magi's presence in the story with the people that they questioned first - King Herod and his advisors.  Their reaction is so completely opposite to that of these wise men, that they cannot be ignored.

Primarily, Herod serves an important function in the story because it grounds the Nativity in history.  Like most of Luke's writings, it provides a verifiable historical context to the Gospel account and allows us to compare and prove Jesus's place in history.  Historians agree that Herod in many respects had a very successful reign.  Ethnically Idumaean, or Edomite, but at least nominally of Jewish practice, he increased the land he governed from Palestine to parts of modern Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, constructing fortresses, aqueducts and amphitheaters.  

His connections to Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus would provide  both comfort and strife.  He was given the title “King of the Jews” by Caesar because of the Jewish population he ruled, to their consternation.  Like most kings, he wanted more and more power.  This pushed him to rule with an iron fist and led to increasing levels of paranoia.  He executed many of his own family to stave off what he saw as threats to his rule.

He has been described as "perhaps the only figure in ancient Jewish history who has been loathed equally by Jewish and Christian posterity," "the evil genius of the Judean nation," and as one who would be "prepared to commit any crime in order to gratify his unbounded ambition."

Perhaps now we can understand better why news of a new Jewish king being born would be so troubling to him.  Jesus represented the one thing he feared the most in the world: losing his position of power and authority.

If Herod's response to this baby king is one of fear and anger, his advisors response seems to be one of apathy.

When the wise men ask Herod where the child was prophesied to be born, he then turns to the chief priests and scribes.  Their response, or lack thereof, is the most interesting part of this account.  Of course they of all people would know the scriptures, and would know the prophecies.  They knew everything about the coming Messiah.  They could have answered any question about the Messiah that had been posed to them.

They simply had no desire to seek him out.

Think about it.  They saw the same star in the heavens as the wise men.  They saw it centered over Bethlehem.  They had to know something significant was occurring in the stars.  The Magi's story would have filled in important pieces of their own observations.  

But for whatever reason, they didn't care enough to find out exactly what was happening.

We don't know if it was fear of Herod that kept them from acting.  That would have been a perfectly rational response.  They knew everything Herod did to keep power, and would have been rightly afraid of his reaction.

Perhaps they were so wrapped up in their own power and position that they never even paid attention to the star.  Perhaps even after hearing the story of the Magi, they no longer had any inclination to seek the Messiah.  After all, God had been silent for 400 years, why would he show up to outsiders and not them?

For whatever reason, their response to the Magi's tale was silence and inaction.  They did nothing.  They heard of the possibility of the arrival of the Messiah and they flat out ignored it.

It's a stark reminder for us to not ignore the signs around us.  To not ignore where the Lord is working around us.  

To expect Him.  And to seek Him out.

As wise men still do.

Yuletide - The Magi - From Reason to Faith

"Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior 

All that we have, whether costly or meek 

Because we believe 

Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure 

And myrrh for the cross he will suffer 

Do you believe? 

Is this who we've waited for?"

"In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 

'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" 

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path."

Matthew 2:1-12

Continuing in the biblical story of Jesus's birth, we have to jump for the account of the visit of the Magi.  

There are many facts about this encounter that are left unexplained.  First, we don't know exactly when they arrived.  They likely arrived several months after the birth of Jesus.  We don't know exactly how many, but it could be as much as twenty-four months or two years.   So, despite what your nativity scene may show, the Magi were not present at the stable.  

Further, we don't know exactly how many Magi traveled to meet the child.  Our songs and some traditions assume three because of the three gifts that they brought.  Other traditions include as many as twelve.  

We don't know exactly where they came from.  It is indicated that they came from the East, but there is no further indication of the region.  Many believe they could come from the areas of Persia or even India.

We don't know what they rode. whether camels or donkeys.  We don't know their names, though some are ascribed to them.  We don't know their fates.  We just see their importance in the birth story.

For the Magi represent a common thread in scriptures: the idea of the righteous outsider.  

The idea of someone outside the faith, outside the Israelite nation, who saw the power of Almighty God and believed.  Often, especially when the Israelites, the chosen themselves did not see it or believe.

Though the Magi came from another faith, likely Zoroastrianism, they recognized the importance of the signs in the heavens that they witnessed.  They recognized the majesty and wonder of the star and came asking "Where is the child?  Where is the one born King of the Jews?"  The priests, the Levites, the Jewish rulers of the day undoubtedly had see the same star, had seen the same signs in the heavens.  But only the Magi recognized their importance and felt compelled to do something about it.

The Magi, to me, also represent the idea of how wisdom and reason can lead to faith.  Despite the often insistence of Conservative Christianity that science and faith are diametrically opposed, the pursuit of knowledge has been one of the many paths that has led several of our important theological figures to belief.  C.S. Lewis famously turned from atheism to faith through reason.  Several current writers have made their notoriety in making A Case for Christ or stating that they Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.  People whose pursuit of knowledge, pursuit of wisdom, and intellectual curiosity lead them to Christ.

It's as if in many churches we forget there are Intuitive and Feeling personality types.  We get those who come to Christ through an emotional appeal. Who hear that great conversion story and are moved by it.

We're not sure what to do with those who respond more to facts than to emotions.  Who won't accept easy answers.  Who will question and will push and dig further and further into the historicity of scripture, the battles in church history, canonicity, and translation, and tradition.  Who will challenge the system.

We have to be better equipped to answer both.

The Magi remind us why.  The Magi's knowledge of astronomy and astrology led them to understand the significance of what they saw in the stars.  Their knowledge of other religions led them to understand the importance that this sign meant to the Jewish people.  Their intellectual curiosity spurred them out of their laboratories and studies and into the West to see what would warrant such a display.

In their intelligence, they brought gifts perfectly suited for the new Messiah.  Gold, a gift for a king, for royalty.  Frankincense, a gift for a god, for divinity.  Myrrh,  a gift for the dead, for a sacrifice.  All costly, and all significant.

Oh that we could share in that same wisdom.  In that same curiosity, which pushes us to pursue the Christ child further and further.

And which leads us to share in that exceeding great joy of discovery.

Yuletide - The Shepherds - The Unlikeliest Heralds

"Shepherds in the fields abiding
Watching o'er your flocks by night
God with man is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:

Come and worship
Come and worship
Worship Christ the newborn king"

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.  And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

'Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  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.  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

Luke 2:8-20

Once Mary and Joseph have gotten settled in to the stable and the delivery begins, the scene of the Nativity story shifts to the fields outside Bethlehem.  To a group of societal outsiders, to some of the lowliest of all Israelites - the shepherds.

Shepherds stood at the bottom rung of the social ladder, along with tax collectors and dung sweepers.  The were dirty.  They were smelly.  They spent way too much time with animals.  And there were rumors about what they did with the sheep.  

They were no one's desired guest.

But God.

The first people to receive the birth announcement for God's only son were shepherds.  Poor, humble, lowly shepherds.  God bypassed the priests, the Levites, the ruling class, even the middle class to send his angels directly to the most humble of them all.

We should pause and ask why.  Why send this message to the shepherds, of all people?  

Perhaps because they were the ones most likely to listen.  

We see it later in the story that when the ruling class was confronted with the signs of the Messiahs birth, they knew the answers, they knew the prophecies.  But they had no interest in finding out whether He had arrived.

The shepherds upon hearing the fantastic news that the promised savior had been born immediately went and sought him out.

There's also likely another, poetic reason why these shepherds in particular were singled out.  If we look to the Mishnah, the Jewish rabbinical legal-history document, we see that these shepherds were no ordinary shepherds.  For they were watching no ordinary flock.  

During those times, sacrificial lambs for the burnt offerings, peace offerings, and Passover offerings were kept in the region of Jerusalem, including Bethlehem, which was just five miles south of the city. These sheep were kept outside year round and watched particularly carefully to keep them without blemish or spot. That means it is likely that these shepherds were watching over the sacrificial flock.

So you can see the beauty in the shepherds who watched the sacrificial flock being told that the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world has been born.  They are shown the next sheep to protect.  They are shown the one who will make their jobs unnecessary.

Regardless of their specific function, the shepherds remind us that the Christmas story is not just for us.  It is not just for the ones who are religiously together.  It's for the dirty.  It's for the hurting.  It's for the outcasts, the strays, the undesired.  

The beauty of the shepherds is that they remind us the Christmas story is for all of us, every one.  

Our part is to determine what we do with it.  

Fear not, we are told, good news of great joy which will be to all the people.  

Do we go and see?

Do we go tell it from the mountain?

Yuletide - The Child - Joy of Man's Desiring

"Child in the manger,

Infant of Mary;

Outcast and stranger, 

Lord of all;

Child who inherits

All our transgressions,

All our demerits

On Him fall."

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”

Galatians 4:4-5

There is a tendency in Christianity to downplay the humanity of Jesus.  We know and will say he was "fully human" and "fully God," but in our reading of scripture and description of the events of Jesus life, we'll often shift our focus bad to his divinity, because we know the whole story.  We know the ending, we know the full displays of his power, so it colors our view of his entire life.  

We downplay just how human he really was.

The Nativity story should put any such notion to rest.

If Jesus simply arrived on the scene as a fully grown adult and started his ministry, questions of his humanity would be justified.  Mythologies and other religions are rife with gods appearing to men.  In the scriptures themselves, we have heavenly beings appear to men.  Angels and messengers.  If Jesus appeared fully formed, it would be easy to believe he was just an angel or some other heavenly being.

This moves Jesus farther away from us.  As one who cannot relate, but instead as one who has simply come to instruct.  One whose suffering was somehow easier because of his divine ability to endure it.

But by appearing as a child, Jesus assures us of his humanity.

No matter how much we would like to portray his birth as a silent night, or that there was no crying that he made that night, I assure you, Jesus cried as a baby.  It would have been his only way to communicate with his parents.  

Yes, he cried, and perhaps hollered and screamed.  He wet himself.  He soiled himself.  He would have vomited.  Made messes.  Worried his human parents.  He got hungry.  Tired.  Frustrated.  Upset.

His life was messy.  Like ours.  

God Himself stepped down to earth, into a form totally dependent on human parents.  Needing their provision, their protection, their attention.  Unable to do even the simplest tasks for himself.

You can almost imagine the times he would be just like every other child.  And then, something would happen to remind Mary and Joseph of how truly special he was.

We can estimate that the rest of Jesus's childhood and young adulthood would have been similar.  We only have accounts of him as a very young child and then the account of him in the temple, around age twelve.  The rest of his formative years must have been largely uneventful, because when his ministry started, he had no notoriety.  The people who saw him grew up around them asked, "isn't that the carpenter's son?"  And his miracles that began with his ministry seemed surprising and drew attention.

Yes, the infant Jesus reminds us of how much he has in common with all of us.  How he truly can relate to us.  How he knows our struggle, and not just from an outside perspective.  He lived it.

And he lived it because of His compassion for us.  He sees our need and is moved to act.  "For God so loved..."

That's the good news that brings great joy.  That's what causes the angels to rejoice and calls for us to do the same.

Glory to God in the Highest
And on earth, peace

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin”

Hebrews 4:15

"Once the most holy

Child of salvation

Gently and lowly

Lived below;

Now as our glorious

Mighty Redeemer,

See Him victorious

O'er each foe."

Yuletide - Herod and His Advisors - An Adventure in Missing the Point

"In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 

'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" 

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path."

Matthew 2:1-12

It's important to counter the Magi's presence in the story with the people that they questioned first - King Herod and his advisors.  Their reaction is so completely opposite to that of these wise men, that they cannot be ignored.

Primarily, Herod serves an important function in the story because it grounds the Nativity in history.  Like most of Luke's writings, it provides a verifiable historical context to the Gospel account and allows us to compare and prove Jesus's place in history.  Historians agree that Herod in many respects had a very successful reign.  Ethnically Idumaean, or Edomite, but at least nominally of Jewish practice, he increased the land he governed from Palestine to parts of modern Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, constructing fortresses, aqueducts and amphitheaters.  

His connections to Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus would provide  both comfort and strife.  He was given the title “King of the Jews” by Caesar because of the Jewish population he ruled, to their consternation.  Like most kings, he wanted more and more power.  This pushed him to rule with an iron fist and led to increasing levels of paranoia.  He executed many of his own family to stave off what he saw as threats to his rule.

He has been described as "perhaps the only figure in ancient Jewish history who has been loathed equally by Jewish and Christian posterity," "the evil genius of the Judean nation," and as one who would be "prepared to commit any crime in order to gratify his unbounded ambition."

Perhaps now we can understand better why news of a new Jewish king being born would be so troubling to him.  Jesus represented the one thing he feared the most in the world: losing his position of power and authority.

If Herod's response to this baby king is one of fear and anger, his advisors response seems to be one of apathy.

When the wise men ask Herod where the child was prophesied to be born, he then turns to the chief priests and scribes.  Their response, or lack thereof, is the most interesting part of this account.  Of course they of all people would know the scriptures, and would know the prophecies.  They knew everything about the coming Messiah.  They could have answered any question about the Messiah that had been posed to them.

They simply had no desire to seek him out.

Think about it.  They saw the same star in the heavens as the wise men.  They saw it centered over Bethlehem.  They had to know something significant was occurring in the stars.  The Magi's story would have filled in important pieces of their own observations.  

But for whatever reason, they didn't care enough to find out exactly what was happening.

We don't know if it was fear of Herod that kept them from acting.  That would have been a perfectly rational response.  They knew everything Herod did to keep power, and would have been rightly afraid of his reaction.

Perhaps they were so wrapped up in their own power and position that they never even paid attention to the star.  Perhaps even after hearing the story of the Magi, they no longer had any inclination to seek the Messiah.  After all, God had been silent for 400 years, why would he show up to outsiders and not them?

For whatever reason, their response to the Magi's tale was silence and inaction.  They did nothing.  They heard of the possibility of the arrival of the Messiah and they flat out ignored it.

It's a stark reminder for us to not ignore the signs around us.  To not ignore where the Lord is working around us.  

To expect Him.  And to seek Him out.

As wise men still do.

Yuletide - The Magi - From Reason to Faith

"Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior 

All that we have, whether costly or meek 

Because we believe 

Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure 

And myrrh for the cross he will suffer 

Do you believe? 

Is this who we've waited for?"

"In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 

'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" 

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path."

Matthew 2:1-12

Continuing in the biblical story of Jesus's birth, we have to jump for the account of the visit of the Magi.  

There are many facts about this encounter that are left unexplained.  First, we don't know exactly when they arrived.  They likely arrived several months after the birth of Jesus.  We don't know exactly how many, but it could be as much as twenty-four months or two years.   So, despite what your nativity scene may show, the Magi were not present at the stable.  

Further, we don't know exactly how many Magi traveled to meet the child.  Our songs and some traditions assume three because of the three gifts that they brought.  Other traditions include as many as twelve.  

We don't know exactly where they came from.  It is indicated that they came from the East, but there is no further indication of the region.  Many believe they could come from the areas of Persia or even India.

We don't know what they rode. whether camels or donkeys.  We don't know their names, though some are ascribed to them.  We don't know their fates.  We just see their importance in the birth story.

For the Magi represent a common thread in scriptures: the idea of the righteous outsider.  

The idea of someone outside the faith, outside the Israelite nation, who saw the power of Almighty God and believed.  Often, especially when the Israelites, the chosen themselves did not see it or believe.

Though the Magi came from another faith, likely Zoroastrianism, they recognized the importance of the signs in the heavens that they witnessed.  They recognized the majesty and wonder of the star and came asking "Where is the child?  Where is the one born King of the Jews?"  The priests, the Levites, the Jewish rulers of the day undoubtedly had see the same star, had seen the same signs in the heavens.  But only the Magi recognized their importance and felt compelled to do something about it.

The Magi, to me, also represent the idea of how wisdom and reason can lead to faith.  Despite the often insistence of Conservative Christianity that science and faith are diametrically opposed, the pursuit of knowledge has been one of the many paths that has led several of our important theological figures to belief.  C.S. Lewis famously turned from atheism to faith through reason.  Several current writers have made their notoriety in making A Case for Christ or stating that they Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.  People whose pursuit of knowledge, pursuit of wisdom, and intellectual curiosity lead them to Christ.

It's as if in many churches we forget there are Intuitive and Feeling personality types.  We get those who come to Christ through an emotional appeal. Who hear that great conversion story and are moved by it.

We're not sure what to do with those who respond more to facts than to emotions.  Who won't accept easy answers.  Who will question and will push and dig further and further into the historicity of scripture, the battles in church history, canonicity, and translation, and tradition.  Who will challenge the system.

We have to be better equipped to answer both.

The Magi remind us why.  The Magi's knowledge of astronomy and astrology led them to understand the significance of what they saw in the stars.  Their knowledge of other religions led them to understand the importance that this sign meant to the Jewish people.  Their intellectual curiosity spurred them out of their laboratories and studies and into the West to see what would warrant such a display.

In their intelligence, they brought gifts perfectly suited for the new Messiah.  Gold, a gift for a king, for royalty.  Frankincense, a gift for a god, for divinity.  Myrrh,  a gift for the dead, for a sacrifice.  All costly, and all significant.

Oh that we could share in that same wisdom.  In that same curiosity, which pushes us to pursue the Christ child further and further.

And which leads us to share in that exceeding great joy of discovery.

Yuletide - The Shepherds - The Unlikeliest Guests

"Shepherds in the fields abiding
Watching o'er your flocks by night
God with man is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:

Come and worship
Come and worship
Worship Christ the newborn king"

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.  And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

'Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.'  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  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.  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

Luke 2:8-20

Once Mary and Joseph have gotten settled in to the stable and the delivery begins, the scene of the Nativity story shifts to the fields outside Bethlehem.  To a group of societal outsiders, to some of the lowliest of all Israelites - the shepherds.

Shepherds stood at the bottom rung of the social ladder, along with tax collectors and dung sweepers.  The were dirty.  They were smelly.  They spent way too much time with animals.  And there were rumors about what they did with the sheep.  

They were no one's desired guest.

But God.

The first people to receive the birth announcement for God's only son were shepherds.  Poor, humble, lowly shepherds.  God bypassed the priests, the Levites, the ruling class, even the middle class to send his angels directly to the most humble of them all.

We should pause and ask why.  Why send this message to the shepherds, of all people?  

Perhaps because they were the ones most likely to listen.  

We see it later in the story that when the ruling class was confronted with the signs of the Messiahs birth, they knew the answers, they knew the prophecies.  But they had no interest in finding out whether He had arrived.

The shepherds upon hearing the fantastic news that the promised savior had been born immediately went and sought him out.

There's also likely another, poetic reason why these shepherds in particular were singled out.  If we look to the Mishnah, the Jewish rabbinical legal-history document, we see that these shepherds were no ordinary shepherds.  For they were watching no ordinary flock.  

During those times, sacrificial lambs for the burnt offerings, peace offerings, and Passover offerings were kept in the region of Jerusalem, including Bethlehem, which was just five miles south of the city. These sheep were kept outside year round and watched particularly carefully to keep them without blemish or spot. That means it is likely that these shepherds were watching over the sacrificial flock.

So you can see the beauty in the shepherds who watched the sacrificial flock being told that the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world has been born.  They are shown the next sheep to protect.  They are shown the one who will make their jobs unnecessary.

Regardless of their specific function, the shepherds remind us that the Christmas story is not just for us.  It is not just for the ones who are religiously together.  It's for the dirty.  It's for the hurting.  It's for the outcasts, the strays, the undesired.  

The beauty of the shepherds is that they remind us the Christmas story is for all of us, every one.  

Our part is to determine what we do with it.  

Fear not, we are told, good news of great joy which will be to all the people.  

Do we go and see?

Do we go tell it from the mountain?