From the Chaplains
The Message of the Shepherds
One of my favourite pictures as a child was of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, as He carried a little lamb in one arm and His staff in the other.
Perhaps our image of shepherds and their sheep has been formed from some of the most famous, godly shepherds in the Bible, ones like, Moses, King David, and our Good Shepherd, Jesus.
Over the last few weeks in chapel, the girls have enjoyed re-telling the Christmas story using dress-ups to act out the characters. We have explored the journey of a young Jewish girl called Mary, as she travelled along the long and dangerous road to Bethlehem, alongside her husband Joseph. We have spoken of angels from above and wise men from afar.
This week we are speaking about the shepherds. The shepherds are usually the least sort after characters amongst the girls. In Luke’s account we read, the shepherds were “keeping watch over their flock by night”. They were taking turns watching over their flock by night. The bible tells us that a great company of angels appeared to them with the words:
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Astonishingly, the first people to receive the news of the birth of a Saviour were a group of shepherds – and that is significant. For shepherds then were a bunch of rascals and rogues, who defied all conventions of decency and respectability. Indeed, according to one rabbi: ‘You will find that there is no more contemptible occupation in the world that that of shepherds’.
They were commonly thought to be on margins of religious society. Living out in the fields, they were unable to keep the Jewish ceremonial law nor attend worship due to their extensive hours.
They were untrusted. Things went missing when the shepherds went to town. As a result, no shepherd was allowed to play a part in a court of law – no shepherd could be called to act as a witness. Their words were false.
Further, they were named with derogatory terms, being referred to as vile and unclean. Their lives were spent handling animals, often sleeping outdoors surrounded by dung and possible disease.
From our very human perspective, God was sending a band of filthy, smelly outcasts to be the greeting party for His Son and to spread the good news of salvation to all who would listen. By today’s standards that might equate to an angelic choir appearing to a group of homeless people sleeping on the street in cardboard boxes or camped out under a highway overpass.
God looks at the heart. It doesn’t matter to Him if someone is dressed in rags or royal robes.
The Bible says the shepherds ran to see the babe, so they didn’t have time to take a bath or change into a nice set of robes, which they most likely didn’t have anyway.
Not only were the shepherds honoured by God, but they were also given the responsibility – as well as the privileged task – of spreading the good news to others. These their lips that had probably said a lot of rough words, but these same ones were given the task to speak the message of angels.
I love that God doesn’t scold them for what they had said, he simply gives them something better to talk about.
In response to the story of the shepherds, I ask of myself:
What news will you spread this Christmas season?
What words will come out of your mouth?
What are the better conversations that you need to have?
The voice of God, the song of the angels, is heard in the good news we spread.
Cass Blake
College Chaplain