Lowly

Luke 2:8-21

         I can almost see God grinning. When you look at it from heaven’s perspective, this story he is writing is great fun. So far, we have an infertile old couple, a teenage virgin and her penniless betrothed from a tiny nowhere village, and a couple of impossible pregnancies. Now the son of God is lying in a feed trough, and hardly anyone knows He has come. 

         God preps his birth announcement with all the proper heavenly fanfare. He’s going to shout out his coming, alright. After 400 years of nothing, God explodes into our darkness. Finally. And to whom does he come? Shepherds. 

         A bunch of dirty, mostly likely smelly, laborers, low on the social scale, low on the income scale, just plain low. These men are without influence or power, without status, without much of anything. But they are awake in this black night. They are watchful. They are doing their work well, watching over these sheep. 

         God holds back none of his glory for these men. The whole sky is full of it. “I’m here!” he shouts. “Your Savior has come. This is good news of great joy, and I bring it to you.” 

         To you. 

         In fact, shepherds, one day soon the Son of God will be one of you. Homeless, dirty, outcast, nomadic, and misunderstood, working with a bunch of bedraggled, bewildered sheep, watching over them in the night, laying down his life. 

         God sees you, shepherds. He’s announcing to you his coming, surrounding you with his glory as he breaks through the silence that has always been your experience. His angels are singing. Just for you. Not only that, but you will be the first besides his parents to see the Son of God. To touch him. 

         You will also be the first evangelists.

         The shepherds make known what they have heard and seen. They go and tell. You’d think this kind of news would send the multitudes rushing to seek out this miracle. But the people only wonder. Then it seems they go back to whatever they are doing. Is it because of the status of the messengers or the hardness of the people’s unbelief? 

         No matter. The shepherds are changed forever. They have received God’s glory. They have touched their Savior. They continue to praise him, even as they return to their work. 

         God comes into your lowly, powerless, insignificant life. If you are awake, watchful, you can see it. His glory. His song. His coming is for you. You think no one sees or cares? You think your work does not matter? You might just be the one who gets to touch the Savior, who gets to carry the news of him to a wondering world. 

          There is a part of his song we overlook: 

“Glory to God in the highest, 

And on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

         Those with whom he is pleased. On whom his favor rests.

         He is pleased with you. His favor rests on you. You are his. 

         Let him come into your night. Let him sing over you. And don’t be afraid. 

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