Long gone were the days of a shepherd boy becoming king. Don’t get me wrong, they loved the story, but they really didn’t love shepherds. They sang the twenty-third Psalm – proudly claiming Yahweh as their shepherd. Ah but real shepherds lived outside like animals; smelled like animals; and were thought of as animals. If bad things happened within a village, the nearby shepherds were the likely culprits. I mean, can you trust a person who chooses to spend all of his time with a flock of stupid smelly sheep? So, there was this weird mixture of glorifying David as the shepherd king; of reveling in Yahweh being their shepherd, and of mistrusting the actual shepherds.
And isn’t it interesting that it was a group of shepherds who were blessed to first here the gospel message? It wasn’t the high priest, a group of scribes, a gaggle of Pharisees – the religious elite. So, in the night, out in the wilderness, an angel of the Lord suddenly appears to some lowly shepherds. They may have been tending their flock in the same area that David tended his flock all those years ago. We don’t know, but it is likely we are intended to make a connection between David of Bethlehem and these shepherds near Bethlehem. Okay, try to imagine you are on watch and all of a sudden an angel is standing there with the glory of the Lord shining all around you. Did he shout and wake the others? We know they were terrified with a great fear and this is more than just the normal recorded response when meeting an angel – this is scared out of your wits because this shining with the glory of God being is suddenly there where he wasn’t before. Scary stuff!
The angel gives the standard, “don’t be afraid” message. Part of this message is “I am here for good news, so don’t be afraid I’m going to go all angel of death on you.” Good news was often about the royal birth of a son. This was good news because it often meant a peaceful transition of power. Good news was also about favorable outcome of battle – VICTORY! This was good news of great joy and it is for all the people, from the king to the little shepherd boy; from the religious elite to the fishermen; from the pious Pharisee to the scoundrel of a tax-collector. It was good news of a birth of a Savior. Interestingly, this is the only place in Luke where Jesus is called savior. It was good news of Messianic proportions. And there may just be a jab at emperor worship here. Caesar is not the savior. Caesar is not the master. This, wrapped in swaddling clothes like every normal baby and born in a manger unlike most babies, is the Savior – the Lord, the true peace bringer.
Following this amazing proclamation of fulfilled hopes and dreams, a heavenly host suddenly appears with the announcing angel and they break out in praise; a heavenly choir intent on glorifying God. The first part of the hymn is all about ascribing glory or brilliant radiant majesty to God of heaven. “In the highest” is most likely a synonym for heaven. The Latin gloria in excelsis comes from this hymn. The second part of the hymn praises God for what he has accomplished. With the birth of Christ, the peace of God – Messianic Peace – has broken into the realm of men. The phrase should be translated “And peace on earth to men of good pleasure.” Shalom is experienced by those who are pleasing to God. God’s peace is like that. It is for everyone, but only those who seek it truly get it. Maybe that’s why the shepherds were blessed with the message. Maybe they were seeking the coming of the Messiah. Maybe the religious elite were too focused on being elite. Maybe.
The angels leave and the shepherds decide to go looking for a baby in a manger. We don’t know how they found the family. It was not an important part of the story. What is important is that these shepherds are given a pretty significant message. Picture them scurrying all over Bethlehem, looking for an ordinary baby who is not ordinary. The Savior of the world wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. I wonder if that gave them hope. They tell the occupants of the house the good news. Mary treasured up all of these things and she also struggled to penetrate their significance. Pondered just may have this meaning here. The shepherds go back to the field praising God. Ah, those crazy God praising shepherds. Does the story amaze you? God burst onto the scene! His first heralds of this good news of great joy were a group of filthy shepherds – mistrusted animal-like dregs. They saw and heard and they told their tale. I kind of think that is what we are called upon to do. Are we too elite for such things? I hope not.