What can we learn from the Shepherds?
Here we’re talking about the characters that played a major role in the story about Jesus’ birth.
In addition to Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds, as mentioned in Luke 2, also were a part of the story. The shepherds represent the third character in the Christmas story.
And, there is so much we can learn from them, which is our focus in this brief reflection based on my message from last Sunday.
Let’s first look at what it meant to be a shepherd around the time Jesus was born, and here we’re looking at what we know of today as the middle east (specifically Israel).
Being a shepherd was a common way of life then. It was an ordinary job that didn’t require one to be very smart to do it even though a shepherd had to learn a few skills while on the job.
It is, however, one of the professions or jobs Jesus would mention later, like in John 10, when He spoke about good versus shepherds.
The reason is that not all shepherds owned the animals they were caring for because they were at times paid to watch over other people’s sheep and goats.
Important characteristics of good shepherds
Good shepherds were:
- Diligent.
- Dependable.
- Courageous.
- Risk takers to the point of risking their own lives only to protect their flock.
Therefore, being a shepherd would later be referred to as a model for good Christian leadership.
Possible reasons why the angel appeared to the shepherds
There could be many reasons why God chose to send an angel to appear to the shepherds.
One of those reasons could be the simplicity of these people. They represented one of the lowest classes in society then.
The shepherds were ordinary people and often humble.
God needs ordinary and simple people because they have the same characteristics just as had the shepherds then.
The shepherds were awake in the silent night.
I love an article I came across online, and which describes Pope Benedict’s reflection on the shepherds’ experience with the angel.
He claims that the shepherds were able to see the angel and hear his message because they were awake. In other words, they were not locked into our human dreamworlds.
Because the shepherds were awake, they were then connected to the common reality, God’s nature.
That’s precisely what they do at night. They stay awake to make sure that wild animals or thieves don’t kill or steal their animals.
It comes down to two things: receptivity and a sign.
The shepherds, because of being awake, were able to receive. Being awake helps us with our receptivity. It also helps us see what God wants us to see and hear what God wants us to hear.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”Lots of things around us, our society and life’s demands often make us deaf, bling and non-receptive of God’s good news God has for us. ” quote=”Lots of things around us, our society and life’s demands often make us deaf, blind and non-receptive of God’s good news God has for us. ” theme=”style4″]
Receptivity + Sign => Witness
That’s exactly what the shepherds did:
- They receive and believe the good news from the Angel (from God).
- They get out to Bethlehem to see this thing (the sign).
- They witness (see Luke 2: 16-20).
Being receptive and able to see the sign are two things that make us good witnesses. What we should do every day is to ask God to help us see the sign and hear what God wants us to hear.
God can help you be a good witness like the shepherds!
So, ask God to show you ways you can witness about God’s good news of Jesus Christ this new year!
