BIBLE PASSAGE:
But Mary treasured up all these things
and pondered them in her heart.
(Luke 2:19)
MEDITATION:
The birth of Jesus (as the Messiah) created change in the lives of
many. As the shepherds were out in the field watching over their
sheep, an angel appeared suddenly. Imagine how disturbing this
was to the shepherds as they tried to figure out what was before
their eyes.
Of course, God knew how they would react, so He told them through
the angel, “Do not be afraid”. He probably calmed them even more
when the angel told them, “I bring you good news that will cause
great joy for all the people.”
Then, the angel told them something that must have startled and
confused them –he said a Savior (the Messiah) had been born. To
confirm the information he had given them, the angel told them
to go to ‘the town of David’ and they could see the baby wrapped
in cloths and lying in a manger.
This should have been enough to confuse and arouse the curiosity
of anyone, but there was more. Suddenly a heavenly host appeared
and started praising God. This could have frightened the shepherds
unless they listened to the words of praise from the angels.
They were praising God for the peace He would bring into the lives
of those He chose to bless.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,
keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the
Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said
to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that
will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town
of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah,
the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great
company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising
God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on
earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”
(Luke 2:8-14)
If you were one of the shepherds, how would you react to everything
that just happened? More than likely, you would respond in the same
way they did. They decided to go to Bethlehem and see what God had
told them through His agent, an angel.
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem
and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has
told us about.”
(Luke 2:15)
They didn’t waste any time,
but rushed to find the baby (the Messiah) and His parents.
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
(Luke 2:16)
How did they know where to find them? As shepherds, they
were probably familiar with all the farm animal facilities in
the area. How were they changed by what they discovered?
Did they believe what the angel told them? Judge for yourself:
When they had seen Him, 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 to them.
(Luke 2:17-18)
If they didn’t believe the angel and if they didn’t think they had seen
the Messiah, then they wouldn’t have been telling everyone about it,
would they? And look at how the lives of others were affected – they
were amazed!
Others considered shepherds as people with a very poor reputation;
they were often viewed as rough, uneducated, and crude. They could
not serve as legal witnesses in court because people assumed they were
dishonest. Society assumed shepherds were thieves who might steal wool,
milk, or animals, so many would not buy these items directly from them.
They were considered ‘ceremonially unclean’ because they lived isolated
in the fields and handled animals constantly. As a result, they could not
easily observe ritual purity laws or attend regular religious services. This
makes them an unlikely choice in the Christmas story and many wonder
why God chose these despised, low-ranking workers as the very first people
to hear the announcement of Jesus’ birth.
Imagine how other people struggled with believing and accepting a report
from the shepherds, that the long-awaited Messiah had been born. Should
they accept as truth this information from people who had questionable
reputations, or should they continue to wait for Him?
How did the shepherds respond to the entirety of this unusual
situation they had just experienced? They realized their lives
had been dramatically changed and started praising God!
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
God for all the things they had heard and seen,
which were just as they had been told.
(Luke 2:20)
They had heard about a coming Messiah, been told that He was
born nearby, had seen Him, and knew that they had experienced
a life-changing moment.
Imagine how different their life became. Shepherding may not be
the most desirable job, but they had seen the Messiah! They may
not have garnered high respect from others, but they had seen the
Savior! Their lives and their outlook on life had been dramatically
changed.
But what about the mother of the Savior? How did Mary feel about
everything that had happened to change her life? The scriptures tell
us that she, “treasured up all these things”, which implies that Mary
felt she had been blessed with the greatest treasure she could ever
receive. It changed her heart as she contemplated the recent events
in her life.
ACTION:
If God changed these lowly-respected shepherds, doesn’t it make sense
that when we have a true experience with the Lord, He will change us
as well? When we receive salvation from the Lord, we should expect to
have a changed life, that includes a new purpose for living!
Questions to consider:
– Have I met the Savior of the world and has He changed my life?
– If I have met Him, what changes has He made in my life?
– Have I experienced a ‘heart change’?
– Do I consider myself an ‘agent’ of the Lord?
– Does it create excitement in me when
I think about what the Lord did for me?
Paul encourages us to….
“Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again: Rejoice!”
(Philippians 4:4)
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to be
our Savior! Thank You for Your Word that describes the
events of His life on earth, including His birth! Without
Jesus, we would be lost and without hope. Forgive me if
I have not allowed my encounter with Jesus to significantly
change my life. Forgive me if I have not developed a new
heart; a heart of appreciation for what He did, and a heart
for others that considers their needs as not only important,
but more important than my own. Cleanse my heart that it
might be a sanctified gift to You to express my gratefulness
for Your love for me and the blessings You have given me!”
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