Sheep Stink. Shepherds Stink. I Stink.

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord was shining around them.  And the shepherds were very afraid. 'Don't be afraid.  I have some very good news for you--new that will make everyone happy.  Today your Savior was born in David's town.  He is Christ, the Lord.'"  Luke 2: 9-11 (ERV)

This weekend I was sharing a Bible story with the Roosters because we didn't make it to church due to illness. I started thinking about shepherds and the fact that God selected them to first announce the birth of Jesus.  Yes, at one time, shepherds were held in high esteem (sort of like teachers "back in the day).  There are even "famous" shepherds in the Bible.  Remember Abraham? Moses?  David?  All were shepherds, but that is definitely not what they are remembered for, are they?  All three are known for greater things than shepherding, aren't they?  So I started thinking that "maybe" since Abraham, Moses and David were all shepherds, and God made promises to them about deliverance and a Messiah that God is honoring them by sharing the news of Jesus' birth to shepherds first???  

Then I started thinking that when Jesus was born, shepherds were no longer thought of as much of anything.  They smelled like sheep and slept on the ground.  They lived on the outside of cities and made little to no money.  (Am I a shepherd?)  In fact, if you did around a little, shepherds were described as "am haaretz" which means "common folk" or "people of the land."  Definitely not your upper class of people.  They were also considered not to be religious. They tended sheep!  They didn't have time to study the traditions of the religion.  They worked with sheep!  They were too busy working in dirt to be pure enough to be religiously desirables.  They were poor!  A shepherd couldn't afford the money or time to go on any religious pilgrimages to visit the sacred places of worship.  Therefore the "religious" of Jesus' day tended to view shepherds as not being faithful to God.  They were shepherds!  They smelled like sheep!  So, why did God select Shepherds?

Maybe it was because of Abraham, Moses and David that God decided to announce Jesus' birth to shepherds first.  Maybe it was because the Bethlehem shepherds were the shepherds who raised the sheep that were offered as sacrifices at the Passover??  Maybe this was a reminder that Jesus would become our sacrificial lamb??  Maybe God chose the shepherds because Jesus would later use the image of a shepherd to explain His role to us.  He was One who pastors.  He shepherds His sheep and is willing to lay down His life for His sheep.

However, maybe God chose to share His news with shepherds to give us all hope.  Maybe if God chose to reveal His glory to those that were not personally, economically or politically important, then maybe there is hope for my smelly self.  Maybe it was to help us understand that how the world classifies us has absolutely nothing to do with the way God loves us.  (Praise God!!)  Maybe God wants us to realize that He knows us, cares for us, loves us and will never abandon us just like a shepherd.  He wants to be with us and will care for us and correct us in a loving, tender manner.

Then I read about some of the stories Jesus told about the crazy things shepherds did to find their lost sheep.  Remember Matthew 18: 12-14 or Luke 15:1-7)?  One sheep out of 100 gets lost from the flock?  What did the shepherd do?  Crazy shepherd leaves the 99 and goes to look for the lost one and then does a "happy dance" when he finds it.  I bet if we listened to the different ways Jesus has used to "find us" and bring us back to Him, some of those ways would seem pretty crazy to us.  Don't you just love that Jesus is "crazy" about you and me?!!  He really is!!  

So why did God choose stinky shepherds?  I don't know.  What I have learned from thinking about shepherds is that it reminds me that God's grace and mercy is extended to everyone.  God is crazy about all His children and wants to have a relationship with us.  Yes, even if I stink from my multitude of sins, even if I stink from my poor choices, even if I have wandered far down the wrong path--God is crazy about me!!  God loves me so much that He spared not His own son!!  And if we are willing, Jesus will come after us and shepherd us back to His fold and rejoice when we return home to Him!  Are you home yet or are you still wandering lost?  I hope you'll hear the Good Shepherd's voice and RUN back to Him.  

Yep, sheep stink.  Shepherds stink.  I stink.  However, God loves His sheep, His shepherds, and God loves me!!