Shepherd-Like Faith

Every year, something new jumps out at me from the Christmas story giving Christmas a renewed meaning and application.  This year is no different as the shepherds come into view in Luke 2:15-18 and remind us what simple faith is all about!     

"So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go into Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which has told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds." 

Think about it...you're out in a field in the middle-of-nowhere, no street lights, no traffic, no airplanes overhead...just pure quietness interspersed with the sounds of nature.  Suddenly, massive brightness, holy chaos and talking angels appear out of nothingness!  I jump enough when my husband sneaks up behind me and scares me so I can't even imagine the pure adrenaline rush of that moment when the shepherds saw the angels and were immediately surrounded by God's glory ... terrified seems like an understatement! 

After the angels left, it's like the shepherds’ terror was replaced with surety and anticipation—a faith that something big had happened whether they understood the implications of it or not.  They didn't waste time analyzing what just happened, wondering if the angels spoke to the wrong guys, questioning if it really was from God, making pros and cons lists, researching other options, and seeking opinions from those outside of their group.  Instead, they had a sense of urgency that compelled them to leave straight for Bethlehem!

Seeing the face of Jesus had enough power and impact that, "Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about the child." (Luke 2:17, Message)  I wonder what made the greatest impression on the shepherds that night.  Was it the sheer glory and words of truth and hope that the angels spoke or was it seeing the baby in the manger or was it a combination of both?  Seriously, if five newborns born on the same night were placed side-by-side, what would make one baby stand out from another and cause me to exclaim, "Now, that’s Jesus!" especially if he looked like all the other babies?  Would I believe that one of those babies was Jesus without an angel intervention?  Would I still believe that one of those babies was Jesus with an angel intervention?  And, that's where faith comes in!

The shepherds in Luke 2:15-18 remind us that:

1. Faith is believing without doubt, vs. 15 (see also Mark 11:20-24 and Hebrews 11:6).
2. Faith really is for us, not only for those who we perceive to be better, more spiritual, more everything than us, vs. 15 (see also John 3:16-17, Acts 10:34-36 and Matthew 18:12-14).
3. Faith means believing that God has chosen you and has a distinct plan for your life, vs. 15 (see also I Corinthians 12:12-31, Ephesians 2:4-10 and Jeremiah 1:5). 
4. Faith requires going and following with haste, vs. 15-16 (see also Matthew 16:24-27, Matthew 19:20-21 and Hebrews 3:12-14). 
5. Faith in God alone is enough to turn our world upside down, vs. 17-18 (see also Matthew 9:20-22, Matthew 17:14-21 and Psalm 96). 

Sometimes, we overthink faith and make it way more complicated than what it should be.  The stripped-down version of faith is believing in God and that He desires us, speaks to us and wants us to see, follow and speak of Him.  When we see and experience God and then share that God-experience (big or small) with others, we are given a glimpse of what it must have been like for the shepherds on that first Christmas!  What excitement, joy, hope, awe and wonder can be found when we stop and consider what a shepherd-like experience might look like for us this Christmas!