Shepherds - Joyful Heart First Presbyterian Message December 13th - the 3rd Sunday of Advent Scripture: Luke 2:8-20 read from The Message by Eugene Peterson

Nothing sweeter in December than a children’s program depicting the nativity. And maybe the sweetest part is the little ones who are cast as the shepherds. Dressed in bathrobes and kitchen towels wrapped around their heads, held in place by Daddy’s ties.their fathers’ ties, in they come, rather shyly, maybe with others on hands and knees portraying their sheep. All they have to do is come in, look sweetly at the babe in the manger and stand about reverently while the important parts of the story are told and the older children play the parts of Joseph and Mary and the angels and the kings - who unlike the Bible account, happen to show up on Christmas Eve. All goes mostly according to plan. Any mistakes, forgotten or mis-said lines, are considered marvelously cute by adoring parents, grandparents. The scene perhaps lacks accuracy, but reminds us that the greatest gift was and still is given to the least of these.

Armond and I have our own shepherd story - our 3 year old preschool son was cast as one of those darling shepherds. In he marched, we felt looking way too excited, taking in all the wonder and beauty of the scene. Unwisely he was one of the shepherds armed with a staff, which once near the manger, he began to use as a prod on other little shepherds. Without much response from them, he tired of staff work and sat by the manger and began pulling the straw out strand by strand. You maybe can imagine our chagrin at the site of his gleeful participation in dismantling Baby Jesus’ bed - the manger. Embarrassing, but a great Christmas memory that still tickles us. We are pretty certain the shepherds at that nativity weren’t given to such mischief.

My question as I read and reread this account from Jesus’ birth was why and how the shepherds came to be given such an honor. Well, I do have some thoughts, but before we get to that, let’s think about shepherds and shepherding and the event before us today…

In old testament times we find that many of the patriarchs were shepherds - David of course, but Abraham, Jacob, and many others. Their wealth was in livestock, sheep and goats. The larger your flocks, the more wealthy you were. People were often nomadic in those days and sheep fit right in with that lifestyle. Sheep and shepherding were deeply woven into the culture of the Jewish people. Even in New Testament times shepherds were accepted in society, lower class perhaps, but at least in a class. Sheep were still a very important part of life for food, clothing, worship and sacrifice. And we must not forget that God calls Himself a shepherd in the Old Testament.

Shepherding was a very responsible job. The welfare and health of the flock had to taken care of which meant leading your flock from pasturage in the hills and mountains to fields closer to towns as the seasons changed. It meant counting and going after strays; it meant fending off thieves and wild animals. It meant day by day and hour by hour - 24/7 as we would say - on the job. Several shepherds would often settle in a grazing area together letting their sheep intermingle because they knew their sheep and their sheep knew them and would follow them when it was time to part ways with other flocks. Having a faithful and trustworthy shepherd was essential.

The shepherds in the nativity story fit right in with this description of the times. The flocks have been led closer to the town of Bethlehem. There are a number of them gathered with their flocks on the

fields outside of Bethlehem. It is night time - likely a low fire burns and various shepherds are on the night watch making sure their flocks are safe through the night.

You know what happens next in the story!! The sky lights up with the glory of the Lord. This is no dream or nightmare - an angel is before them. Like many - most - others who were met with an angel in biblical records, the shepherds are terrified. You can imagine what they are thinking and wondering. Angels don’t just appear to anyone and certainly not to the likes of these men. The night air is suddenly split with the sound of an angelic voice. The angel first calms them down a bit by telling them there is nothing to fear. Then the angel announces the birth of Jesus. This is quite a birth announcement! This is the announcement that every expectant Jew would hope to hear. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” The angel invites them to make a visit to see the mother and her baby letting the shepherds know how they will find him - the baby will be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. They don’t need to look for him in a house or inn, he will be in an animal shelter.

Having given the news to the shepherds, the angel is joined by a great company of heavenly beings. The sky is full of them, the glory of God radiating through the skies, illuminating the whole area. Their voices fill the air singing “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels have left them, the shepherds begin to play an active part in this great drama. Filled with wonder and amazement, they talk it over and decide the only thing to do is go see for themselves what God is up to. So up they get and run into Bethlehem. There they find the animal shelter and the manger that the angel had spoken of - and there they find the baby - Jesus. They see Him with their own eyes…what the angel had told them is true! They have seen him, and now there was nothing to do but go and tell everyone they can find what has just happened. And those who hear are just as amazed as the shepherds are! They leave the scene of this first Christmas leaving no further footprints in history but full of joy, praising God.

Think of the emotions those shepherds experienced that night - a night they would never forget. First just a normal night, maybe a bit boring, then terror filled them, followed by amazement, joy and wonder. They must have wondered even though giddy with joy! “Why us? How could we be chosen to hear and bear this announcement? Why not others?” And we wonder too…

Of course, we don’t know the mind of The almighty, but maybe we can make some interesting guesses.

Imagine with me God is getting ready to introduce His extraordinary son to the world through an ordinary birth to an ordinary young couple. God is thinking about how to let the world know. He needs just the right people to be the first to know. He wanted very special witnesses for the miracle of His son’s entry into time and place. He chose those who would be overwhelmed with joy, filled with wonder at being the receivers and bearers of the wonderful news. He chose those not weighed down with their own importance or learning. He chose the ordinary, the regular, those outside the aristocracy and religious elite.

I think maybe God chose shepherds because He Himself is the shepherd of His people. David sings to us through the ages, “The Lord is my shepherd.” (Psalm 23) God knows what sheep need and He promises to meet the needs of His flock.

And perhaps God chose shepherds because after all this little baby was to be recognized as the Lamb of God. Those who knew sheep and the responsibilities of shepherding would be the ones who would introduce the world to Jesus -the precious Lamb of God. As He grew and began to fulfill His mission on earth He would tell His followers that He was the Good Shepherd of the sheep willing to die for them.

Just as the shepherds must have wondered, so we too wonder. We are not unlike the shepherds of long ago. We too have heard the birth announcement; we too have had our own glimpses of the glory of God in the life of Jesus; we too have been given instructions on how to find him; we too have an amazing message to share in our world…the long-awaited Savior has come and He brings peace and joy to us.

What do we do with this good news? The shepherds at the manger show us the way. We can look to our little worlds, we take stock of our little flock of family and friends, neighbors and co-workers. We take joy to them, we take the great good news to them. We don’t worry about our status or stature in the world. God delights in using the ordinary, regular, even the mundane, to bring good news of great joy to all the people. We let joy be our message and our voice. The shepherds heard the good news of joy to the world - and spread it after seeing Jesus. These are days that desperately need this joyful news - that despite the drum beat of anger, strife, darkness and despair there is hope, love, peace and joy.

And what is this joy? It is that the joy of heaven has broken into earth’s dark and dreary atmosphere. The kingdom of God is among us in the person of Jesus, our Good Shepherd. Through Him the barriers are breached. Joy is a message of Jesus’ life and mission. It is said of Jesus that for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross and despised its shame. We are encouraged to fix our eyes on Him so that we too can endure with joy. (Hebrews 12:2) He is the Good Shepherd who brings His own joy to the world and bequeaths His joy to His children, (John 15:11) - May His words to us bring encouragement this Christmas Season -“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete!”

Good tidings of great joy. Joy, joy, joy to all the world, the Lord has come. Is joy the message of my life?