«Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom He is pleased!». Luke 2:14, GNT
BETHLEHEM’S SHEPHERDS were the first to welcome Christ in His arrival to this planet. Although the metaphor of a shepherd had been used in the Bible to describe God’s ministry (see Psalm 23), in Jesus’s days shepherds were actually considered the worst sort of people. A good father would have never dared teach his son the profession of being a shepherd, because they were considered «dishonest and thieving; they led their herds on to other people’s land, and pilfered the produce of the herd.» * Shepherds were not allowed to go to the temple or be witnesses in a court of law. It was said that repentance would be hard for them, because «they could never know every person they had injured or cheated”**
But despite their bad reputation, the shepherds were the ones who were close to Bethlehem; they were the first to be at Christ’s side, and «the glory of the Lord shone over them» (Luke 2:9, GNT). The divine glory that had filled the sanctuary, that filled the heavens, now covered these mere mortals. Those who were considered righteous, holy, noble, and respected were not there, and were not even aware of what was taking place. As Mary had said in the Magnificat, through Christ’s birth, God removed «the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly» (Luke 1:52). And that’s what happened in the case of the shepherds!
As His birth companions, the King of heaven chose sinners, those who were humble, a distinctive trait of the tone of His ministry in our planet. While Jesus was in this world, people were upset and offended, and said of Him, «This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them» (Luke 15:2, CEV).
In Jesus, God made Himself accessible to all humankind; He became close to those who were hopeless in the world. Jesus came to be close to people like you and me, sinners who need to draw near and receive the Savior.
The shepherds were the first to hear the angel chorus: «Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom He is pleased!» (Luke 2:14, GNT). It doesn’t matter if people think you are a low-life—today the peace that was announced in Bethlehem can cover your
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Avineyda Hernández
