Day 7: The Shepherds Story Scripture: Luke 2:8-10 Have you ever had an experience that you were not prepared to have? Everyone has. The shepherds were not ready for what they experienced. Sometimes the experience is great and sometimes it is not so great. The unexpected occurs in our lives. Think of Mary and Joseph. The birth of a child is a time of great joy and expectation. Did Mary and Joseph expect the birth of Jesus to occur as it did? The birth event was an ordeal. Mary traveled 70 miles on a donkey while very pregnant through very rough terrain. Once she reaches the destination, she goes into labor. The only place that is available for Mary, as we all know, was a barn or some say a cave used as a barn. I know barns. My grandfather was a farmer. When our family would visit Grandma and Grandpa, the barn was my playground. Barns are cool for young boys who are not afraid of cows, smelly manure, haylofts full of hay where mice and snakes hide. The barn was a place of adventure for me. Mary and Joseph were not looking for an adventure. They were expecting the birth of a son who an angel told them would be Gods son. As Mary and Joseph came into Bethlehem after that arduous journey, wouldnt we think God would intercede and at least give them a room with a bed for Mary? It is reasonable to think that God would want his son to come into the world in a nice place. It had to be a nightmare for Mary and Joseph at this time. The event easily could have caused them to think they had been abandoned or ignored by God. It would not be a stretch of the imagination to believe Mary and Joseph doubted that God was with them and that God cared. Mary and Joseph could have asked, “Where is God?” Questioning the love of God is not something we often think about at Christmas. In the church, we celebrate that God loved us so much that he became God with us, Emmanuel. That is the message we proclaim loudly and proudly as the church. Do we really think that is what Mary and Joseph thought as Jesus was born? What is Gods answer for Mary and Joseph? Some of you may be wondering, why did I choose to share the part of the story where the shepherds receive the news of the birth? The meditation has been about Mary, Joseph and the trying circumstances they faced. The answer to the uncertainty that Mary and Joseph faced was dealt with through the shepherds. Everything had gone wrong for Mary and Joseph but God sent “earthly angels”, the shepherds, with a story so amazing and so powerful that it can only be explained as a miracle. Isnt that what Mary and Joseph needed? Mary and Joseph needed a powerful message from God. The experience of the shepherds was a testimony to Mary and Joseph that God is in this and God is with them in spite of what the circumstances reveal. We want the Christmas experience to be devoid of difficulty. It isnt. Here is the good news, circumstances are no indicator of Gods closeness. It is always a good thing to look back at Gods faithfulness and grace to remind us of his faithfulness and grace in the present and for the future. God was with Mary and Joseph and sent shepherds with an amazing story that emphasizes that truth. Mary kept the story of the shepherds in her heart and pondered it. The future for her and Joseph was not any easier but as she remembered the shepherds story, it got her through what came. Christmas is coming. For some, it will be wonderful and for others, maybe not so wonderful. If we remember and reflect on the shepherds story, it will get us through the wonderful or the not so wonderful. Gods grace and faithfulness has not changed or vanished. Thanks be to God! Merry Christmas! Written by Rev. Jerry Beck, Washington UMC Share Tweet Forward to Friend Copyright © 2014 Covington District United Methodist Church, All rights reserved.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 12:54:03 +0000