Unlikely Recipients
Based on verse 2 of the hymn Where Shepherds Lately Knelt:
“Where shepherds lately knelt and kept the angel’s word, I come in half-belief, a pilgrim strangely stirred; but there is room and welcome there for me, but there is room and welcome there for me.”
Good news begs to be shared, right? Particularly maybe, the birth of a child. I know when our kids were all born, we couldn’t wait to get on the phone and call our moms and dads and siblings and let people know, family members, congregational members, people we were close to, people who meant things to us, people who cared for us, et cetera. Who are the first recipients of the birth announcement of the Savior? Shepherds. Now we have a, I guess, kind of a romantic idea of shepherds because the Bible uses it so often in a positive way, but in that culture, shepherds were despised. And the reason most shepherds were despised was very frankly, they stunk. They would sleep out in the field with their sheep and apparently sheep don’t smell very good. I’ve not spent much time around sheep, so I don’t really know. But shepherds would come into town and if the shepherd came into your business, they probably cleared your business out because of the smell. In addition, shepherds were considered to be thieving people. There was one list put together by a rabbi which said specifically that shepherds were not allowed to serve on jury duty for they were known to be liars and thieves. The most important birth that has ever happened is announced to who? Outcasts from society. And who are the first evangelists in the New Testament? Shepherds. Outcasts from society. What unlikely recipients. Then of course there’s a few other unlikely recipients in here tonight. The Apostle Paul confesses, here’s a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of whom I am the worst. I did not deserve to hear about the wonderful good news that I have a savior any more than these shepherds deserve to. But God in wonderful grace told you. And in wonderful grace, he has let you know that a savior has been born for you. Amen.
