Shepherds

Illegal

Lying under a blanket in the park he could not help but notice the cold, he would prefer a home or an apartment, even a room but most of what he makes is sent home to his wife and children and right now the one meal he has a day is all he can afford with work being so scarce. Sleeping in the park is not always safe but most of the time he is unnoticed.

Being unnoticed is something you get used to. If you don’t want the immigration folks to see you, blending in is a good thing. In fact the only time he is ever noticed is when something is missing. It seems those without get blamed a lot for what goes missing even if they had nothing to do with it. Once on a work site he saw the supervisor take something, and later the owner wanted to know what had happened. Of course all the hardworking underpaid workers, like him were blamed. “I guess it goes with being called ‘illegal’, but why should working hard be illegal. Those who were born in this country and are lazy they should be illegal, not us, we want to work.

Shepherds

2000 years ago migrant sheep herders were out in the fields and when God was ready to announce the birth of His Son he did not go to Jerusalem to the big cathedral temple that was the center of the faith. He did not go to the powerful influencers of the town and society. He did not appear before the governor or the King. He came to the migrant shepherds that most people over looked, the ones on the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder the ones that no one saw, the ones who were considered to dirty to come into the temple.

Good News

God sent Angels to the least and lowest to tell the greatest news ever told that God would take the form of a baby and live right with us, we would see God in a body and would learn up close what God was about. How He loves us, and wants to walk with us and has a rhythm and purpose in mind for us that is so much bigger than anything we ever imagined and it is right there for the asking. No down payment no earning this love. It is free to us and costly to God. A Merry and Joyous Christmas to you. [JC]

Luke 2:8-20 (New International Version)

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.