We normally compress a lot of things into what is the traditional Christmas nativity story, yet the timeline of the story itself plays out over several years. Luke begins nine months to a year before the birth of Christ with the angel visiting Zechariah to announce that he would have a son. Then, about nine months before the birth of Jesus (which is three months before John the Baptist is born) the angel Gabriel visits Mary. Sometime later Joseph is visited by an angel and then they receive the news that they need to travel to Bethlehem for the census. Finally, they arrive in Bethlehem just in time to give birth to Jesus. Shortly after that …
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’
Luke 2: 8-10
In today’s passage, people are visited by more angels. They are given a message. But today we simply marvel at the fact that they are visited. The shepherds, I am told, are not the upper echelon of the social ladder in those days. In fact, they may have been somewhere down below the bottom rung. Yet the birth of our king is not announced to earthly kings, or to the priests, or even to a mid-level administrator. It is announced through the humblest of the humble: lowly shepherds.
Q: Knowing who the angels reported the birth of the Messiah to, what does this say about our God?
He cares about the lowly, those who aren’t paid much heed by others. He also is particularly concerned with widows, orphans, and refugees (sojourner) – people without power.
He is loving and kind – not based on status.
God wants all people to come into relationship with Him.
I guess when you actually own the entire universe and everything in it you would really have very little need to try an impress any of your creations who live there. Clearly God is not impressed by pretense. Instead he values humility both in Himself and in his creation.