Of Tending Sheep and Watching Stars
Christmas 2A | Matthew 2:1-12
On the eve of Christmas, we gathered to sing and celebrate the birth of Jesus, the incarnate one, the hoped-for king. He was born of a virgin, protected by her fiancé, to be the true parents of the messiah. We gathered and we heard the good news and proclaimed joy to the world. For many of us, it is the best night of the year.
We heard a story of the couple traveling to Bethlehem to be counted, seeking a place to rest, and the baby being born, placed in a feeding trough to double as a crib. It is a recognizable story, pastoral and memorable. Humble, yet joyous. And then an angel appeared to shepherds keeping watch in the fields. Laborers who work nights. Working class heroes, watching, protecting the sheep when God came into the world.
Shepherding isn’t a glamorous job. It’s dirty and thankless. Jewish shepherds lived outside with their sheep in a constant state of ritual impurity. This is emotionally and spiritually painful work. Which is why it was often forced labor, done by prisoners and indentured servants. Not the sort of people parents usually want around their newborn. Around the future king.
No purity in that room that night. Just grace and truth.
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