Christmas Eve, 8pm, Preached Dec 24, 2024
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Luke 2:8-20
Reader 1: 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,
Reader 2: “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.”
Reader 1: Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
,!
Reader 2: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom God’s favor rests.”
Reader 1: 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.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 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.
Reader 2: But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
This too is the word of God for the people of God… (Thanks be to God)
Sermon Shepherds?
Its a wild enough story that God chooses to come among us as one of us, fully human, God in the flesh, through a young brown skinned, very poor, pregnant, unwed, teenage female who will shortly get run across a border with her baby and family as a political refugee and illegal immigrant.
But God first announces all of this happening to a group of shepherds? What have you heard or been told, what have come to believe about shepherds back then, in that society? How were they thought of? How were they treated?
A strain of the narrative for centuries about shepherds is that they were unclean, despised by proper religious society, outcasts, out in the field tending dirty sheep because that’s the last job they could get.
There are strains of that in some of the old stories and prophets. From Isaiah, we hear things like… “As a lion or a young lionness growls over its prey and when a band of shepherds is called out against it, is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise, so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion.” The Lord in this image is a lion defeating shepherds who think they are protecting Zion and its flock with their screaming and shouting.
But later, Isaiah says this: “the Lord God comes with might, and God’s arm rules for him… 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom and gently lead the mothers and their sheep.” In this image, God is supporting a shepherd who cares for his flock.
Isaiah even says this: “I am the Lord, who made all things… 26 who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the prediction of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, “It shall be inhabited,” and of the cities of Judah, “They shall be rebuilt,”… 28 who says (of Cyrus), “He is my shepherd, and he shall carry out all my purposes”; and who says… of the temple, “Your foundation shall be rebuilt.”
To the God of Isaiah, shepherds are sometimes the lowest of the low, those God will devour like a lion while they circle themselves around God’s sheep and scream and shout. Other times, the shepherds are who God sends and empowers to gather the flock, to tend and care for them, and to rebuild what is good and holy.
A long long time ago, the youngest son of Jesse was not experienced and wise enough to handle the complicated jobs at the family business, and not mature and strong enough to go to war, so was sent out as a shepherd. When the prophet came looking to anoint the next leader/king, the prophet did not choose one of the managers or warriors but the shepherd, David.
Young David didn’t take lightly his responsibility as shepherd but invested himself in his craft, and became very good at feeding and defending the sheep. He used those skills to surpass the wisdom of management or might of military, risked himself and defeated the Giant who threatened God’s people, as the story of David and Goliath goes.
This baby we are celebrating this night is born to the house of David, the shepherd who became King, the King that reunited God’s scattered people, the last king these people had before everything broke in two, and they went to war against one another and both lost everything.
One of the old songs we call Pslam 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd…” and some say it was written by David. The shepherd who became King looked to God to be his good shepherd, the one to keep him safe, and provide him good food and fresh water all the days of his life. That’s the role of a good shepherd, a good ruler, a good God.
In the world’s eyes, shepherds weren’t anything special, good or bad. They weren’t important but they weren’t unclean. They weren’t wealthy but they had a role in society. They weren’t in power, but they had responsibilities. The choice became, for shepherds, will they do their role with integrity and honor? Will they provide, and tend to all the sheep, and risk themselves for all those in the flock? Or would they lose, or forget about, or mistreat, or abandon, or even sacrifice some sheep to protect themselves and the others?
This God comes to shepherds first on this night because that’s our choice too. We may not have any great power, or wealth, or be all that important, but each of us, all of us have roles, responsibilities, and resources. Do we protect ourselves, our wants and wishes and whims while losing, neglecting, abandoning, forgetting about, overlooking, or sacrificing others? OR, will we be good shepherds who care for all those in need, who seek out and rescue all those who are lost and alone? Will we provide abundant food and clean water for all God’s flock? Will we tend any who are wounded, and risk ourselves to keep the whole flock safe and together? That’s the choice of a shepherd. That’s our choice, here at the manger, and out there under the starry skies. Let’s make our choice with as much faithfulness, urgency, and joy as these first shepherds.
To God be all glory and honor, now and forever more, amen? Amen.
Invitation
The one who comes among us as one of us is known as the Good Shepherd. His flock is all his people, especially those in need. We know how he shepherds. He pauses, tends, heals, feeds. He goes, seeks, finds, and rescues. When the religious and political leaders circle around the temple and the people and scream and shout, protecting their own ways of comfort and control, he devours them like a lion, calling them hypocrites and vipers, flipping over their money tables. Then he breaks their rules by healing on the sabbath, touching lepers, talking to and empowering women, forgiving tax collectors and adulterers who repent, and eating with doubters like Thomas, with deniers like Peter, with traitors like Judas, with sinners like you and me.
Come to this table tonight no longer wanting all things to be the way they were or to stay the way they are, but daring to risk something so all things might become as he taught and lived, as he imagined for us. Come to this table prepared for you and be anointed as a shepherd by the one who risked himself, his whole life, for the sake of all creation. Come, the table is ready…
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