They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. (Luke 2:17–18)
We celebrate the mundane so much these days that we hardly recognize weighty good news. We snap photos of our lattes (#blessed), and we celebrate every achievement, however minor, with a perfectly filtered pic to acquire likes and followers. While it is admirable, and even healthy, to celebrate everyday simple blessings, we mustn’t become numb to the truly astounding.
The story of Christ’s birth is far from a commonplace occurrence, yet we’ve heard it so often, we are at danger of its magnificence being lost on us. If we condescendingly consider Luke 2 as a “children’s story,” or if we only consider the scene superficially as our reimaginings often do, we might mistake the miraculous for the mundane.
Consider the shepherds. They were dirty, poor, all but outcast, and certainly in need of a Savior. These shepherds were likely tending to sheep marked for sacrifice, so their “keeping watch by night” over the sacrificial lambs was complete when unexpectedly, the gritty and the grandiose converged: the Sacrificial Lamb descended upon the earth.
In order to grasp the joy of Christ’s birth fully, we must first understand our position as one of lowly insignificance. The shepherds understood this and could hardly contain themselves, spreading the news of the Messiah’s birth. We are similarly called to hear, grasp, and proclaim the good news of the redeeming Christ.
Rejoice! A Savior has come to redeem YOU!
Dalene Rovenstine Fisher is a wife and mother. She serves as the dean of arts and sciences at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
© 2019 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
