i'm a shepherd...so are you

Luke 2:8--"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,..."

They were watching, keeping, protecting the flock as was their duty. He chose to proclaim the most exciting news of any age to them. What better backdrop for a cantata of heavenly hosts than the infinite space of the night time sky, lighting it up with the brilliance of His messengers! They were in the perfect spot for the introduction of the long awaited One.

Some say He appeared to lowly shepherds to show that He accepts all, even the lowliest. But I wonder? Maybe He chose them to show that there is none higher. He is no respecter of persons, all are equal before Him.

Man establishes social statuses. Social hierarchy exists in our schools, our communities, our government, and, yes, in our churches. But that is not from Him. There may be those who offer less, accomplish less, voice less, and acquire less, but there are not any who are less. Standing before Him, our measure is the same...we are condemned without His grace or we are saved by it.

In a world where pride would be at enmity with God, where pride would destroy and separate us from Him, the first guests invited to come see Him had to come lowly. He calls us to rid ourselves of our desires for prominence, accolades, even our desires to be wanted. He calls us to accept a spot in the low places, walk humbly, be servants, esteem others higher than ourselves. He knows the magnetic effect of pride for the weak human heart and He wants to deter us from the devastation it causes. No wonder His humble entrance.

Shepherds were the unaccepted, unacknowledged, unwanted, but did He announce the great news first to them to show His acceptance of the lowly or to remind us that we are all lowly and He chooses us anyway? Love is most powerful when it accepts someone at their worst. When one receives that kind of love, they know it is real. That is a life changing kind of love and in the changed life He is seen and He receives glory. Glory rightly assigned.

He came to all of us, but we must meet Him in our lowly state just as they did that night.

Luke 2:17 & 20--"And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child...And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."