There were shepherds out in the
fields near Bethlehem, keeping watch at night over their flock. Suddenly, an
angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were terrified. The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I bring you
good news of great joy which will be to all the people. There is born to you
today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This is the
sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising
God, and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
on earth peace, good will toward all.”
When the angels left, the shepherds said, “Let’s go to
Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known
to us.” They went quickly, and found Mary and Joseph, with the baby lying in a
manger. When they saw it, they told many what had been said to them about this
child. All who heard it wondered at what they heard. Mary kept all
these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying
and praising God because everything they had heard and seen was just as it had
been told them.
For Reflection:
God
announced the Messiah’s birth to only one small group of shepherds. In the eyes
of both Romans and Jews, the shepherds were nobodies, people who had no power,
no influence, and no importance to justify such an honor. Yet they were God’s
choice.
Do you
think of yourself as too unimportant for God to communicate with you directly?
Have you ever realized how many of the main characters in the Bible were
nobodies when God chose them to do something important?
Prayer: Remind me, Lord, that you call
people just like me to speak for you and work for you.
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