Pay attention Now. We are going to now be together with the day by day studying of Epistle and Gospel with The Prayer Crew.
The Shepherds
And in that area there have been shepherds out within the area, holding watch over their flock by evening. Luke 2:8
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, because it had been instructed them. Luke 2:20
Good morning Prayer Crew!
No guardian in Bethlehem two thousand years in the past hoped that their youngster would develop as much as be a shepherd. Being a shepherd was a harmful, lonely and nomadic life. It was harmful, as a result of sheep had been usually prey for wolves and different harmful animals. Shepherds had been armed with staffs, not weapons, and will simply be harm or worse by animals preying on the sheep. Shepherds needed to be on guard, particularly at evening, after they must sleep with one eye open to maintain the flock secure. Being a shepherd was lonely. It was one shepherd to 1 hundred sheep. This didn’t depart numerous time for socializing. If a couple of flocks had been collectively, it will be a couple of hundred sheep to a couple shepherds. This didn’t present for a lot of a social life. There definitely weren’t any holidays for the shepherds. And shepherds had been nomadic—they moved their flocks to the place they may discover meals. They didn’t personal houses, host dinner events, or get pleasure from lazy afternoons with the household. And on the time of the census, these males weren’t even within the metropolis to be counted, that’s how unimportant they had been.
But, the angels introduced the message of the Nativity to the shepherds. Why? As a result of they had been trustworthy, and so they had been prepared to listen to it. Bethlehem was too busy. The crowds had been too distracted. The trustworthy and vigilant shepherds had been in a spot of quiet and solitude the place they might have observed the angels.
Just like the shepherds, all of us have a flock. For a few of us, our flock features a partner, kids, pals, co-workers, fellow church members, purchasers, or sufferers. A few of us would possibly want we had a unique flock—perhaps we want had extra kids, or much less. Possibly we want we had a unique job, extra pals, higher neighbors. Similar to I’m positive the shepherds in all probability wished that they had taken a unique job. Most likely some had been wishing they had been in a heat home in Bethlehem somewhat than sitting within the chilly evening of the countryside. The shepherds had been trustworthy of their obligation, trustworthy to their flock. We’re purported to do the identical with our “flock.” God honored the shepherds by giving them the reward to be the primary to see the Christ. God honors those that are trustworthy to their flocks. If the second best commandment is to like our neighbors, then we honor God by honoring others. We honor God by being trustworthy to our “flock.” And God in flip will honor us by exhibiting us His glory within the Kingdom of heaven.
Luke 2:20 has change into certainly one of my favourite Bible verses. It reminds us that after seeing the Christ, “the shepherds returned.” They returned to being shepherds. Seeing Christ didn’t change their socio-economic standing. It didn’t get them extra pals, or make them much less nomadic or make their job much less harmful. It did, nevertheless, change them. It modified their hearts. As a result of they now knew God. They returned “glorifying and praising God” which I’d enterprise to say led to a extra purposeful and God-centered life.
One irritating factor in regards to the Christmas season is the way it ends. We take down our decorations, nearly respiratory a sigh of aid that Christmas is over. On December 26, we’ll return to the identical jobs, the identical challenges, the identical lives. Christmas received’t change these issues. However Christmas can change us. Christ can change us. Similar to the expertise of Christ modified the shepherds as a result of it modified their hearts. The problem for us is are our hearts open to vary? Will we search for encounters with Christ, and can we permit these encounters to vary us?
After we had been younger and went to highschool, we did so as a result of we had no alternative. We did, after all, have a option to study or not. As we become old, and college just isn’t obligatory anymore, it’s as much as us to hunt out alternatives to study, whether or not meaning taking a category or studying a ebook. And if we search a possibility to study, who isn’t going to take benefit and really study? Christ regularly offers us alternatives to study Him. Many people belong to a church. Are we open to studying? Are we open to a message that modifications us for the higher? After we hear a message, can we refine our lives to replicate what we’ve heard? The message of Christ can’t get me a unique profession essentially, however it will probably make me extra purposeful within the profession I’ve. The message of Christ received’t materially or financially change us. However most definitely it will probably change our hearts.
You righteous, be glad in coronary heart; and the heavens, be exultant. Leap for pleasure, O mountains, on the start of the Messiah. Resembling the Cherubim, the Virgin Maiden is seated and maintain in her embraces God the Logos incarnate. The shepherds glorify the new child Babe; Magi carry the Grasp their valuable presents. Angels are singing hymns of reward and mentioned “O Lord, incomprehensible, glory to You.” (Praises from the Orthros of the Nativity, Trans. by Fr. Seraphim Dedes)
The lesson of the shepherds: The shepherds had been trustworthy to their flocks and in flip God honored them by inviting them to be the primary to see Christ. This encounter didn’t change their socioeconomic standing, but it surely modified them. God gives us the identical invitation to know Christ. It’s as much as us to reply and go. And it’s as much as us to open ourselves to a message that received’t change what’s in our wallets however can most definitely change what’s in our hearts.
+Fr. Stavros
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The Revised Normal Model of the Bible is copyrighted 1946, 1952, 1971, and 1973 by the Division of Christian Schooling of the Nationwide Council of the Church buildings of Christ in the usA. and utilized by permission. From the On-line Chapel of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
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