In Luke 2:17 we are told that after the shepherds went and saw the baby Jesus, they were compelled to tell everyone they saw what they had just experienced. As I was pondering this, I thought to myself – who was it the shepherds were telling? I love the way The Message puts is – it says “They told everyone they met…”. Everyone! But what were these people doing that the shepherds were telling?
Go back to Luke 2:1. Of course we know this is how the story starts – with everyone going to their own city to be counted. The towns were bursting at the seams. I imagine it was crowded, busy, tempers may have been short, and people were probably pretty self-absorbed. Shopping and traffic had to be a nightmare as this influx of people strained the infrastructure of these towns. And, yet, during all of this the shepherds told them that the Messiah had come in the form of a baby. Does any of this sound vaguely familiar? You bet it does!
But even in the face of these obstacles, the shepherds were still compelled to tell. They had experienced something that was life-transforming to the point that they left their sheep behind and braved the crowded malls, ahem, towns and told everyone they met about Jesus.
What about you? Have you encountered the Baby in the manger? If so, who have you told?