The cast of the Christmas story are a pretty diverse group, everything from farm animals to angelic host. There were even bedazzled mysterious Wise men. They were Influential men of means. They were dignified and they brought gifts! They were important enough that they got the attention of King Herod. They were VIPs, so it’s really not a surprise that these blinged out star gazers got invited to the first Christmas party. But they weren’t the first to get invited or show up. In fact, the wise men were fashionably late to the party. They didn’t meet sweet little baby Jesus in a manger. They, probably, showed up after a year or two after the Nativity and met sweet little TODDLER Jesus. That is just proof that when God shows up the party can go on for a while!
The first to get an invite were…brace yourself… a bunch of smelly sheep herders!
WHAAA? What will the neighbors think?!
Shepherds were the first to hear about the Savior!
Shepherds were burly, socially awkward outsiders.
They lived their lives like gypsies or carnival workers.
They sure didn’t get invited to parties!
They were the overlooked and overworked. They were the minimum wage workers who did the dirty work.
They lived on the fringes…with sheep. (Have you ever smelled a sheep? It’s nasty. Ever tried to carry on a conversation with sheep? It’s awkward.)
The shepherds never got invited to parties. They were never welcome at big, important events.
They would screw things up. They would do or say the wrong thing. They smelled like sheep. They were a walking talking social faux pas. They were simply not welcome.
YET…these are the first ones to get the message from heaven
The Savior is here…there is reason to celebrate…AND…
YOU ARE INVITED.
This was probably the first party they got invited to.
The BIGGEST news of ALL time was delivered for the FIRST time…in a pasture!
The BIG news was not delivered to BIG people, not the high and mighty, politically powerful, rich and famous…it was delivered to the disenfranchised…the last and the least.
Then it filtered its way UP…God is backwards like that!
I think inviting the shepherds was God’s way of thumbing His nose at man-made social rules and expectations.
“For God so loved the WORLD.”
that seems pretty clear.
The kingdom is for shepherds and wise men, homecoming queens and wallflowers, freaks and geeks, insiders and outsiders, rebels and rogues, the popular and the polarized….
“Every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball”.
It’s for pretty much EVERYbody. You AND that guy that you don’t agree with.
The Kingdom of God is wide open.
The velvet rope has been torn down, trampled on and thrown out.
It’s a party for you, me and that guy over there…
The Savior is here…there is reason to celebrate…AND…
YOU ARE INVITED.
Don’t miss it!
carbonated joy 