Luke 1:3 since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you.
The Gospel of Luke was compiled by Dr. Luke, a physician and the only gentile (non-Jewish) writer of the Bible. He collated the birth, boyhood, biography and ministry of Jesus by interviewing the eyewitnesses and followers of Jesus. Dr. Luke is the only one who refers to the angelic visitation to the humble shepherds. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them (Luke 2:8-9a). Hence, Luke would have personally visited the shepherds to hear firsthand about the angelic visitation. Have you ever wondered why the angels visited the lowly shepherds in the field and not the wealthy kings in the palatial palace or the Pharisees in their research coliseums?
The edited truth in the Christmas story is that shepherding was considered as the lowliest trade. During Jesus times, shepherds stood on the bottom rung of the social ladder. Their status was inevitably despised and ridiculed as ‘dung sweepers’! Jewish ancient documents prove that shepherds were deprived of all civil rights.
Jesus came to redeem the outcast, ostracized and the despicable outsider.The first visitors for the King of Kings were the socially, economically and financially underprivileged shepherds. To the rugged, ruddy and rustic shepherds, the proclamation of the birth of Jesus would have been a rubicon moment! As He did at His birth, Jesus is reliving the untold nativity scenes year after year.
The Nativity Scene of Jesus is a picture of liberation:
- Outcast: The ostracized outsiders were the first to visit Jesus in the manger that had turned into a birthing-unit. Shepherds were not welcomed in public gatherings. In my opinion, God chose a manger for Jesus to be born rather than a palace or even a decent maternity home, not just to fulfil the prophecies but also to give accessibility to the shepherds. They boldly marched into a manger to visit baby Jesus. Jesus came to include the excluded, outcast and ostracized.
- Outsider: The arrogant religious leaders maintained a strict caste system. Shepherds were officially labelled as ‘sinners’ which was a technical term for people who broke the law and the Sabbath. The fields were a few miles away from their homes so shepherds would remain in the fields for weeks before they returned home which clearly categorized them as law-breakers. The socially castigated were the first guests at the manger. King Jesus honoured the outsiders as the privileged insiders.
- Obedient: The unlettered illiterates had no Biblical scrolls to authenticate the information that was given to them. They immediately took the menial address that was given and promptly started to search the new-born King. “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:11). The address of the birthing-unit was, “The Manger, Bethlehem Village”. There must have been about 30 to 40 family homes in Bethlehem so the shepherds would have looked for an unusual birth in a manger. The obedient, not the opulent receive the favour of the Messiah.
The untold scene of nativity was the rubicon moment of the simple shepherds.
Luke 2:12 “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger”.
Prayer: Sweet Jesus, as you chose the overlooked and ostracized, may my heart be filled with love to reach out to the outcast. Amen.
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