Light
the Advent Candle two,
Think
of humble shepherds who,
Filled
with wonder at the sight,
Of
the child on Christmas Night.
Paul writes to the Corinthians to remind them of who they
are and, in light of this, to keep God at the center of their world. “Brothers
and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were
wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble
birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God
chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly
things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to
nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1 Corinthians
1:26-29).”
Paul is stating a pattern that can be observed throughout
history of how God works. Weak and foolish people accomplishing great and
mighty deeds can only be done with supernatural intervention. Therefore, God
gets the glory. I am sure many of you have heard this quote: “The next time you
think that God cannot use you, just remember: Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too
old, Jacob was a liar, Joseph was a tattle tale and was abused, Moses had a
stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Rahab was a prostitute, David had an
affair and was a murderer, Jonah ran from God, Peter denied Christ, Paul was
too religious, and Lazarus was dead!” God not only uses the weak and foolish to
further His kingdom, he redeems them as well, and calls them His sons and
daughters.
But it is also the weak and foolish that have been
privileged to receive some of the greatest revelations of God throughout history,
and not the strong and powerful. Moses received the 10 Commandments, etched on
stone by God’s own fingers, twice[1]. Rahab confessed the might
of God before the Israeli spies and was rewarded by marrying into the line of
David, and Jesus[2].
David poured out his soul before God for his sins and was promised honor
because of his repentance[3]. Jonah begrudgingly
witnessed God’s concern and redemption of a foreign, Gentile, enemy nation[4]. Peter confessed Christ’s
identity and spent the rest of his life furthering his master’s kingdom before
being honored with the privilege of dying as his Savior did[5]. While Paul was still hell
bent on destroying the followers of Christ, Jesus appeared to him, called away
from his current mission, and gave him a new mission[6].
So all that to say, it was not the religious elite that were
invited to worship at Jesus’ birth. It was humble
shepherds. Shepherds were not glamorous. They were not usually wealthy, or,
for that matter, clean. They had to stay with the flocks to protect them, to
rescue those that were attacked or wandered off. They weren’t home at sundown
for quite evening with the family and a hot bath. But, some of God’s greatest chosen men have
been shepherds: Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jacob’s sons, Moses, and David. The
life of a shepherd proved to be great preparation for a life of service and
leading others because the needs of the others must come before the needs of
the shepherd.
Therefore, it is right that shepherds should be the first to
welcome Christ into the world—not the high priest, not the pastor of a mega
church, not a bunch of theologians and seminarians, but the people who lived to
serve. These men were not wealthy, fat, warm, or prestigious. But they had
servant’s hearts, and were quiet, so they could hear, listen, and follow the
instructions of the angels that appeared to them singing of Christ’s birth in
Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-20). Now, is it bad to be a pastor of a mega church, a
theologian or a seminarian? No, it’s not. But having those degree’s or responsibilities
doesn’t give us a pass on knowing God, having an intimate relationship with
Him, and following His will, and not doing our own thing.
[1]
Exodus 32: 15-16, 19, 34:1-28.
[2]
Joshua 2:8-14, 6:22-25, Matthew 1:5.
[3]
2 Samuel 12:13-14, Psalm 32.
[4]
Jonah 3-4
[5]
Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30, Luke 9:18-21, On Peter’s Death: “Having been nine months in prison, Peter
was brought out for execution, and after being scourged, he was crucified with
his head downwards. It is related that he himself chose this painful posture
because he did not think he was worthy to suffer in the same manner as the
Lord.” – John Foxes’ Book of Martyrs
[6]
Acts 9:1-30.
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