Joining the Shepherds

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. – Luke 2:16

Last week in my Bible Classes, we considered the profound moment in history wherein God’s Son entered the world. Looking again at the manger scene, my students and I were struck by the absurd humility displayed by the Creator of the universe. When we entered into a discussion about the shepherds, we were challenged by the question, “Why did God choose nasty, smelly, homeless shepherds as the first to greet him in the stable?”  The answer that was revealed during the second grade Bible Class struck me to the core.  Had rich kings, familiar only with polished riches and perfumed pillows, arrived in Bethlehem seeking a king; Had they found the star shining upon a crowded stable; Had they the stomach to enter the loud, smelly, barn; would they not have been so distraught at the putrid environment that they would have missed the beauty of the baby having just been born into it? The shepherds on the other hand, being comfortable with discomfort, indubitably took no notice of the smelly mess in the rugged stable, but rather knelt, perhaps with tears clearing their eyes, in awestruck wonder before the Servant King.  The real challenge came in the next question voiced to my second graders but directed at me: So, why is it difficult for rich people – those of us who enjoy the comforts and luxuries of the world—to “enter the Kingdom of heaven” (i.e. see and enjoy the presence of God)?  Perhaps the answer lies with our hypothetical rich, stable-visitors. Perhaps those who miss him are those who are unwilling to enter the messy places, or those who, upon arrival, become so agitated at the mess that they miss the Savior dwelling within.  Why are we so careful to avoid smelly people, dirty places, and sticky situations when it is all too apparent that those are the places wherein Jesus chooses to reside? If we were really intent upon being with Christ, would we not join the smelly shepherds in hurrying off to find the baby lying in a feed trough? Lord, may your star guide us not to the palace of Jerusalem, but to the barn of Bethlehem.