To Read: Luke 2:15-21
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
The narrative says ‘they went with haste,’ and so that begs an important question: what happened to the sheep? The story doesn’t tell us if they got someone else to take over, or if they just left them in the fields, but either way – they went quickly without worry about anything else. Oftentimes we think of the surprise of the shepherds, who had been filled with great fear at the appearance of the angels, but we often don’t think of the surprise of Mary and Joseph. What must they have felt that all their trust was continuing to bear fruit in the appearance of these strangers coming to visit their child. The shepherds showed up and said, a whole mess of angels just appeared in the sky and started singing praises to your child! That’s wild. They must have felt a real confirmation that their trust was right, that their own experiences with angels was not some weird hallucination, that the experience of the virgin birth was with great divine purpose.
It gives me great appreciation for v. 18 as well. Others heard of this and wondered at the events being reported to them. It must have been surreal and rife with suspicion and curiosity in the community. But Mary, we’re told, in the next verse, treasured these things in her heart. Let this be instruction for us: that on one hand, the response of the shepherds is right – they are glorifying God loudly, telling others, praising the Lord. And on the other hand, we are to carefully contemplate these things in our own hearts. There is both outward praise and inward transformation. This is how the Lord works in each of us – we praise outwardly and we grow inwardly, all at the same time. Let both happen in your heart this Christmas.
Song to Listen To: Mary, Did You Know?
It’s cheesy in a way – it’s an 80s song, after all; but man, it’s strong too. This baby would walk on water – would save your sons and daughters – the child you delivered would deliver you! Good stuff.
Prayer: Father, show us something marvelous this Christmas. Let us come away skipping with joy like the shepherds, but also guide us into something new that we might contemplate in our hearts like Mary. By our outward praise of you let us be inwardly transformed. Let us like an overflowing cup pour out our love on others because of the love you’ve first shown us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Echoes of Eden: Candlelight. Come and enjoy the Christmas Eve service today at Redeemer and be immersed in candlelight. Watch the quiet flicker of the candles dance; remember that fire is God’s design and he can control it; it gives off light and heat, all necessary for our lives, and he let us as people discover it and figure out how to contain it. We are after all, given dominion over the earth. But let it remind you of Christ as the light of the world who came into darkness – all things are exposed and all things are made beautiful in the light.