25 December 2010
Luke 2 v. 15 - 20
‘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.’
We’re told that the shepherds, taking God at his word, hurried off to find the baby. What did they see when they got there? An ordinary young couple with their newborn? People of the same social class as themselves, in humble circumstances? There was no worldly pomp and circumstance surrounding this birth, no trappings of royalty, or airbrushed celebrity status.
Like Anna and Simeon in the temple courts1, and the wise men who would follow2, the shepherds saw past the evidence of their natural eyes. They looked beyond the physical reality, and saw the greater truth: a Saviour, the Messiah, the Lord. They saw things the way God saw them. They looked with the eyes of faith.
We need to become like the shepherds, people who in every situation, take God at His word and see things as He sees them. This is the nature of repentance – to change our way of thinking - to align ourselves with God. And this is what the great figures of faith in scripture were commended for: they chose to believe God, rather than the wisdom of the world, or the ‘facts’ of their circumstances3. It is not that we ignore the physical evidence, but that we do not accept it as the greater reality.
The shepherds’ faith-response to their encounter with Jesus, was firstly to praise the Lord, and then to tell their neighbours the good news.
God has come to us, transformed our ordinary lives, delivered us from every power of darkness, made us His children and released His power among us. Let’s respond with worship and celebration, and then tell our corner of the world that He wants do it for them too.
Prayer
Lord,
Help me to align myself with You in everything.
I worship and praise You for all you have given me.
Increase my understanding of the amazing salvation I have through Your Son,Jesus,
And give me opportunities this Christmas season to share this good news with the people around me.
Amen
1 Luke 2 v. 25-28
2 Matthew 2 v.1-2
3 Hebrews 11 v. 11,12
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