Have you ever felt like a shepherd? if I say it that way then probably not. But what if I told you that shepherds were not high on the social ladder, worked long hours for little pay, and were often looked down upon? Even in the religious scene of the day a shepherd’s place was to raise lambs and sheep for others – they would be used by others for sacrifice or in Jewish festivals like Passover
So if you’ve had it rough this year, if you don’t feel well liked by everyone, if you’re job is difficult with long hours and low pay, or if you feel like a bit of an outcast… then you’ve felt like a shepherd. Here’s the good news though – God chooses you.
God chose to announce the arrival of Jesus to a group of Shepherds – no one else – by sending a whole angel choir. I think He chose them because of their heart and life… because they knew what it was to be outcast and downhearted and that would make them more open to do what God was asking of them. They were to seek and find Jesus, and they did without hesitation. In fact once they found Him they told everyone about what had happened to them. They were the first New Testament evangelists.
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished. Luke 2:15–18 (NLT)
This Christmas while many people are focused on all the wrong things may you have a Shepherds heart. May you seek Jesus with a humble heart and draw close to Him, and then do whatever you can to tell everyone about Him. May you experience the truth that God loves everyone, even shepherds, even you, and invites everyone to seek and find Jesus. As a way to help you do that please invite friends, family, and neighbours to our Christmas Eve Service at 6:30pm where we’ll hear through the Christmas Story about what God has done for us, and how He has chosen us.