Today’s Daily Devotion is about the change in the shepherds from being afraid to having great joy.
When the angels appeared to announce the birth of the Savior to the shepherds, they reacted by being afraid. I suppose most anyone would, but there is more background to this in their case. You see, absolutely no one would be approaching shepherds who were watching their flocks.
Shepherds were not highly revered in society. For instance, in court cases, the testimony of a shepherd by himself was not allowed unless another witness was there to corroborate.
It makes me think of the number of people I have known or ministered to in my lifetime, who have what I call a “poverty mentality.” It goes beyond just the money issue. It is about people who think of themselves as “worth less” than others.
I grew up with such thoughts about myself. I thought my opinion was not as valuable as that of others. It took more than half a lifetime to overcome this. These particular shepherds seem to have overcome it in one night!
First, they instantly grasped the meaning of the announcement. You see, Bethlehem was close to Jerusalem, and was a supplier of the lambs used for sacrifice in the Temple. A sacrificial lamb had to be unblemished, so at birthing time, the shepherds would take the new lambs that had no imperfections and wrap them in strips of cloth (swaddling) to keep them unblemished until they were taken to the Temple.
To hear the angel say that the baby would be in a manger wrapped in swaddling cloths was a connection to the prophecies of Isaiah about the suffering Messiah, the lamb of God.
Once they were no longer afraid, the shepherds were ready to go and see … now.
Luke 2:15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
For a group of fellows who didn’t feel very welcome in public, this was quite a significant adventure. And after their visit to see the Christ child, their courage increased even more.
Luke 2:17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
The birth of the Messiah was the work of God for everyone … from the lowly shepherd … to the Wise Men from the East.
For some people, it takes years and years to overcome the deeply ingrained feeling that they are not worth as much as others. But God wants to cleanse you from self-degradation and fill you with the proper value he has given you, all the while maintaining a true and healthy sense of humility.
Unto YOU a Savior has been born.
Blessings,
Chaplain Mark Davis
(The Daily Devotion “Today’s Word Is” is published Monday – Friday.)