Advent, Day 16
LIGHT TO THE SHEPHERDS
Consider the hypothetical scene—the angelic hosts of heaven gathered in response to a great summons. Clamors rang through their myriad number amid growing speculation over the reason for such an invite.
Then Gabriel or some other chief would have stood to explain the purpose of the gathering: The unprecedented angelic choir had been assembled to celebrate the dawn of a new era—behold, Emmanuel, the eternal King of the Earth, would finally be born in fulfillment to these millennia of expectant longing. Imagine the joy at the announcement!
The angels practiced and prepared, as they wondered and speculated. Which venues might be elevated by this festive tour? Which palaces and kingdoms of the earth would share the glory of beholding this great proclamation? How would the masses respond!?
When finally the day came, there must have been a buzz in the air. They would have polished their pronouncement in the many languages of the earth—in Mandarin, Syriac, Akan and the rest—they would be ready to share these glad tidings of great joy far and wide in perfect harmonious unison.
BUT…
Lo and behold, after all the meticulous preparation, it was finally revealed that no palace would be included in the tour. No kings would listen to the song, nor would they even hear of it. No princes or priests would be invited, nor anyone with a degree. There would be no masses. No guilds, nor magi, nor rabbis, nor senators, nor sophists, nor centurions, nor soldiers.
No, the great angelic choir had only one stop on its itinerary. They would visit a few Hebrew shepherds with little to distinguish themselves other than some callouses and a lack of hygiene.
The angels must have marveled at the mysterious ways of God, as heaven and earth cracked open, overlapping, if only for a short and foreshadowing moment. And so, there in a remote field near a little town, the grandest choir in all human history thundered and shook the ground with their song, announcing their glad tidings of great joy. The Savior had come. Light had entered darkness. The proud Heavenly Father spared no extravagance in this proclamation, though his hand-selected guest list might have surprised some. Those honored guests took off their dirty sandals, smiled through missing teeth, and ran with thankful hearts to welcome their newly arrived King.
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
-Luke 2:8-14
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
– Why do you think God chose to order such a terrific display?
– Why do you think God limited the audience to just a few shepherds?
– God calls the nations to worship him, yet He did not show his glory to the kings of the earth. Does this surprise you?
– How might the story have played out differently if the angels visited the great palaces of the Earth?
PRAYER
Glory to God! All glory is yours! The prince of peace has come! You exalt the lowly, the last, and the least likely. Lord, thank you for seeing and loving poor shepherds! You didn’t wait for them to look for you. You came for them. You gave them the honor of being the first witnesses of your incarnation. Help us sing your praises like the angels did. May we go off in search of you as the shepherds did. May we behold your glory and worship you! Amen!
