Have you ever wondered why so few people seemed to be aware of what was taking place in the stable in Bethlehem? Have you ever thought it was strange that there were so few visitors? The only record we have of anyone taking notice at all is the reference to a group of shepherds and three wise men. Why didn’t others notice and follow the star? The streets of Bethlehem were filled with people there to pay their taxes to Rome. The inn was full. Why didn’t they notice? It seems that everyone was too busy with more important matters to notice. It seems significant that the only people who took time to notice what happened in the stable were a few rough-hewed shepherds and three mysterious seers from a far off place. What qualities did they possess that led them to the stable? Maybe if we learn that secret, we will learn the secret of Christmas.
When we study the shepherds and the wise men the first thing we notice is that they were willing to follow a star no matter what the risks. Think of it. The road is dusty. The roads were dangerous with people who would do them harm. They traveled by night. They were only interested in finding the child the angels told them about. They followed their faith that they would find the savior they longed for. Most of us are busy this time of year making plans, fighting fears, and trying to get through each day. We need to find the quality of following our hearts and our faith as we take a risk and step out of our “comfort zone” to seek a deeper knowledge of God. Only those who choose to follow find their way to the manger.
The second quality which stands out as we study the shepherds and the wise men is their humility. Humility is being open enough to accept things that are new or different to us. It must have been quite a shock to the shepherds and the wise men to see what they saw when they arrived at the stable. They were expecting to see the Messiah, which meant to people of that time that he would be a great deliverer who would make Israel a formidable power. The wise men expected to find the next ruler of Israel. They beheld two peasants and a baby! Some king! Some deliverer! Still, each bowed before the child. Here they were confronting a new kind of kingship and because their hearts and minds were open, they were able to affirm and acknowledge the infant. Only those who find the way of humility find their way to the manger.
A third quality we notice in these visitors is their capacity to adore. Adoration is not a word we use much anymore, perhaps because we’ve forgotten what it means. Adoration is a combination of love and worship and is something we reserve for God. We are to love one another as we love ourselves, but we are to love God with all our heart, our mind, our soul. There is nothing half-hearted or lukewarm about adoration – it is giving of one’s being. I think it’s interesting that the only visitors are the very poor and the very rich. Possibly the reason we have forgotten the meaning of the word “adoration” is that we have made a god of mediocrity and the price we pay is the capacity to adore. The god of mediocrity is too small and would be embarrassed at anything as extreme as adoration. Only those who choose the way of adoration find their way to the manger.
The final quality we find in each of these visitors is the joy. If the shepherds had not been me of joy, they would never have heard the song of the angels in the first place. One must have at least a little joy inside to be able to experience joy on the outside! If the wise men had not been men of joy, for joy is the by-product of hope, they would never have made the long arduous journey following a star. The joy of Bethlehem id a joy that is not dependent upon the circumstances of life. Only those who choose the way of joy find their way to the manger.
So, there they were – Mary, Joseph, and the Christ child and a few visitors – in a cold, rude, crude, stable. Outside, there was pain, and want and need, just like today. And yet – there was a deep abiding joy, for God was in their midst.
Therefore, the message of Christmas is this: “Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you this day is born in the City of David, a savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
Source: © The Rev. Peter Groschner, December 23, 2018. John 10:11-18. Reprinted with permission from the author.