Our world is filled with people who feel little. It could be because someone wanted to puff themselves up so their mode of operation was to put another down so that person felt “less than.” It could be a life circumstance led to a defeatist attitude. It could be a bully decided to exert his/her influence and beat the person down. And sadly, there are those whose personality is such that they are likely to put themselves down with words and thoughts like “I’m just a nobody.”
The late Francis Schaeffer once wrote a book called No Little People, No Little Places in which he attempted to defend that in God’s economy there are no little people, no insignificant people AND there is no place where a Christ-follower finds himself that is unimportant.
If there is anyone in the Christmas story that could fit that bill it was the shepherds. Among many other facts and quirks about them, one truth remains: they were considered the lowest of the low, the bottom feeders, maybe one tick above the leper. Their exposure to society was minimal due to their profession and all the baggage that went with it. We will call them outliers.
It should strike us then that the announcement of Jesus’ birth was not made in a palace, a Temple, or in front of the religious elite. It was made on a hillside, in the dead of night, to a motley crew of unwanted men. While it should strike us, it should not surprise us. Jesus once said, “I came to seek and to save the lost.” He also said that it wasn’t the well who needed the physician, but the sick.
Even at His birth, He showed that. No class distinction. No “I’m better than you.” No small people. I like it that way.
No small people . . .
Jesus certainly has a way of leveling the playing field, Bill. Thank goodness and thank the Lord!
Blessings!
Absolutely agree Martha. As they say: the ground is level at the foot of the cross.
Any clout, any fame, any monetary gain… It will all be insignificant in Heaven.
The only thing that will matter are the questions… Do you know my Son? What has HE done for you?
That will preach Ryan because it is true.
God does not overlook anyone, that is most beautiful part of salvation. In God’s eyes we are loved, forgiven, redeemed, saved, treasured, all of us are important. A lesson we all need to import into our own lives, love everyone as Jesus commanded us to do.
All of those are true Gail. Beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I find it interesting that even the birth of Jesus resembled the Shepard’s position.. born in a manger, because there was no comforting room in town.
Makes you really think about it.
Yes it does Ed. Hadn’t really thought about it that way.
I am so thankful God chose to tell the shepherds first. I imagine if my daddy would have been alive then, he would have been a shepherd. And he would have been proud to be one and done his absolute best at shepherding. I find it interesting that of all the analogies Jesus could have used to define and describe Himself, one of the ones He chose was our shepherd. He was the lowliest of the low and laid down His “rights” to “condescend to men of low estate”(Romans 12:16) and BE one of them/us so that He could deliver us from our sins. It also reminds me of Paul’s writing in 1 Cor. 4:13 where he said, “We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.” Kind of like how Christians are increasingly being viewed in this evil world.
I agree with your thoughts Cheryl about Jesus being a shepherd. Since i only know your dad through your words and eyes, it is a high compliment to be known as one who would choose to be a shepherd.