Regular People
Now the scripture I read this morning may have sounded just a little different, some of the words may not be words you’re used to hearing. This particular passage was read from the King James version instead of our usual NRSV. The KJV has very pretty language but is often hard to understand. But for this passage of scripture, no other version sounds quite right to me.
This passage is one of the most familiar to people at Christmastime. Even people who have never cracked a Bible in their life have heard it many times, especially if they watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special every year. That is one of the highlights of the show when Linus, on a darkened stage, explains to Charlie Brown the true meaning of Christmas by reciting the story of the shepherds and the birth of Jesus.
It is a passage extremely familiar to all of us. And, as a result, we read it casually, like a paper or magazine article. When we have scripture that we are so familiar with, we need to look deeper to find those spiritual treasures God has hidden for us. We need to slow down and really read these words. Then read them again. And then read them again.
Read vss. 8-9
Elaborate on the shepherds, about how they were considered unclean physically and spiritually. About how shepherds were not high on the social scale; theirs was a lowly occupation, and they weren’t highly educated. They were homeless wanderers. And they were well down the social ladder. They were likely hard men, callused, rough, tough, certainly dirty and likely uncouth. They were religious outcasts. According to Jewish religious law, these men were unclean. Their line of work prevented them from participating in the feasts and holy days that made up the Jewish religious calendar.
What does it take to terrify a group of tough guys? These were men who had to defend their sheep against all types of predators, 4-legged AND 2-legged. They lived with their sheep, rescuing them from dangerous places. They had no fear. But in this case, all it took was the glory of the Lord. This angel shows up, and these tough guys are scared to death!
Read vss. 10-14
What did the angel say? Look closely. The angel did not say, “Hey guys. I’ve got some bad news. You’re really in trouble now. You guys are a bunch of dirty, smelly losers. And God’s not going to put up with you anymore.” NO! The angel said,
“I bring YOU good tidings of great joy which shall be to ALL people.”
“For unto YOU is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
“And this shall be a sign unto YOU..”
The angel’s message to the shepherds was that this baby is YOUR Savior, YOUR King, YOUR Christ, YOUR gift – straight from God. Not just for kings. Not just for the elite people. Not just for the ceremonially clean. Not just for the celebrities. But for ALL people. That means shepherds, too!
Read vss. 15-20
We see no recording of who goes, no arguing about who will stay and watch the sheep. “No, Achmed, I’ve got seniority. I’m going to see this baby.” “But, Haji, I’ve got a vacation day left and I’m going to take it to go and see this for myself.”
They didn’t seek out the religious “experts” for a second opinion. There is no discussion about how they’re going to find the Christ child in the crowded town. It says, “And they came with haste…”
“And when they had seen it, they made known abroad..” “And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” Can’t you just hear the people who are told these things by the shepherds, given the shepherds’ reputation? They’re going, “Yeah, right. Those shepherds! Can’t believe a word they say. They’re by themselves so much they’re seeing things and talking to themselves and making up stories.”
But what is the most priceless, spiritual treasure in this story? It’s the most obvious feature of the story. Who does God announce the birth of His Son to? Who does he invite to come and see the new baby? A bunch of unclean, no account, lowlife sheepherders! There is only one announcement of Christ’s birth recorded in the Scriptures, only one invitation from God to anyone to visit Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. And that one invitation goes to a bunch of uneducated, social and religious outcasts, a bunch of shepherds. God didn’t appear to the self-righteous religious leaders, to the kings, or to the “celebrities” of that day. He appeared to humble men, in a despised profession, on a dark hillside.
Why? Why appear to the shepherds? In a survey, nearly a third of those questioned stated that, of all the persons mentioned in the Christmas story, they identified the most with the shepherds.
Shepherds were your average, ordinary, everyday, working people. They did not view themselves as God’s gift to society. They were not the socially elite. They were just common, everyday folk and they were the ones invited to see the birth of the King of kings!
A scene in The Cosby Show comes to mind in which Cliff is explaining the value of money to Theo. Theo doesn’t care about good grades, or going to college, or being a professional like Cliff (a doctor) or Claire (a lawyer). He wants to know why he can’t be just a “regular” worker.
Cliff takes some play money, gives it to Theo, and tells him this is his income for the month. Theo is all smiles, thrilled at this “wealth” he’s “earned”. The first thing Cliff does is take 400 (?) dollars from the cash in Theo’s hand for taxes. Theo’s smile is gone. Cliff says, “You see, the government comes for the “regular” people first.”
That’s what God did. He came for the “regular” people first. But not as a punishment. Where, in the world of taxes, it often pays to be rich and have tax shelters and so on, and the “regular” people are penalized, in God’s form of government it pays to be one of the “regular” people. The “regular” people are the ones He wants, the ones He came for first.
Think for a moment of a person you care about. Suppose you were given a large sum of money and told to buy that person a Christmas gift. What would you buy them, a gift they would use maybe once, something they wouldn’t like, something they’d throw away after you left? No, you’d probably give them a gift they would enjoy and cherish.
You’d do this to let them know, "I care about you and I want you to know that you are special to me.” When the angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields, they came with the message, "Man, have we got some good news for you. God wants you, and He’s sent a Savior into the world just to show you how badly He wants you."
At the heart of Christmas is the reality that God wants us. Old, young, rich, poor, black, white, red, yellow, and brown. He wants the educated, the uneducated. He wants those in the city, in the country, and in the suburbs. He wants those in the east, the west, the north, and the south. He wants everyone. Look at the person next to you and tell them, "God wants us."
So, what does all this mean to us? Well, if we identify with the shepherds, that’s good. Maybe you see yourself as kind of an outcast. Maybe the shepherds sat out in those cold, lonely fields, looking over the village, seeing the lights of the homes, hearing the faint sound of families, people laughing, and wishing they could be a part of that. Maybe you’ve felt that way too. Maybe you’re not one of the “beautiful people,” wealthy or powerful. Maybe you’re not likely to be well known or see your name in the paper for some great accomplishment.
Maybe you think your church attendance is only so-so, you’re not very knowledgeable about the Bible, and you don’t pray as much as you should. You feel like God doesn’t care, couldn’t really care, about someone like you. Well, you know what? Welcome to the club! You’ll be surprised to know that a lot of people, deep down, feel exactly the same way. People, who on the surface appear to have it all going on, feel like they don’t fit in.
If any of this sounds like the way you feel about yourself, then I have good news for you. The best news possible. God loves you, and you, and you… Just like He loved those shepherds.
And God came for the shepherds. And the prostitutes. And the CEO’s. And the garbagemen. And the rich & famous. And the homeless. And the truck drivers. And the waitresses. And you. And me.
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to ALL people.”
