The Shepherds Response (Luke 2:15-20)
We rightly remember the visit of the angel to the shepherds. After all, it is a highlight of the scriptural record! However, we often overlook—or at least take for granted—the shepherds visit to the holy family. We would not have the story of the angel if it weren’t for the actions and the communication of the shepherds!
I sometimes wonder about all the stuff God does that few people get to hear about, all because people do not share what they experience. How often does God act miraculously in peoples’ lives only for those people to never share it with anyone. Not everything God does is intended for the world to see. But I’ll wager that more of what He does is supposed. To be shared than what gets talked about.
It might even be that we have lost the capacity, or have never practiced the discipline, of observing and recording what God does for us. Many miracles are unobserved because we are not looking for them.
When the shepherds recieve God’s message from the angel, they don’t just content themselves with that amazing experience. They rush out to see what they have been told about. The want to see God’s work, not just hear about it. Then, they tell everyone about what they have heard and seen. They do not keep it secret for themselves. We have the story of the shepherds because they told it. We also have the story recorded in Luke because someone else took note of it, remembered it, and shared it. Mary, we are told, pondered these events and remembered them. We can be certain that Luke’s source is Mary herself.
How often do you notice God at work in your life? How often do you share the stories of God’s activity with others? These are things we should practice and do!
I sometimes wonder about all the stuff God does that few people get to hear about, all because people do not share what they experience. How often does God act miraculously in peoples’ lives only for those people to never share it with anyone. Not everything God does is intended for the world to see. But I’ll wager that more of what He does is supposed. To be shared than what gets talked about.
It might even be that we have lost the capacity, or have never practiced the discipline, of observing and recording what God does for us. Many miracles are unobserved because we are not looking for them.
When the shepherds recieve God’s message from the angel, they don’t just content themselves with that amazing experience. They rush out to see what they have been told about. The want to see God’s work, not just hear about it. Then, they tell everyone about what they have heard and seen. They do not keep it secret for themselves. We have the story of the shepherds because they told it. We also have the story recorded in Luke because someone else took note of it, remembered it, and shared it. Mary, we are told, pondered these events and remembered them. We can be certain that Luke’s source is Mary herself.
How often do you notice God at work in your life? How often do you share the stories of God’s activity with others? These are things we should practice and do!
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