Christmas II, Dawn
December 25, 2015
Luke 2: 1-20
Now is proclaimed the [middle of the Gospel[s], according to Luke in the second chapter.
Now it came to pass in those days that a proclamation went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone set out to be enrolled, each to the town of his ancestors.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he belonged to the house and lineage of David. He went to be enrolled with Mary his betrothed. And Mary was with child. And it came to pass that while they were there, the time was fulfilled for her to be delivered. And she bore her son, her first-born. And she wrapped him in linen and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were
shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks in
the night. And an angel of the Lord came upon them [appeared before them] and
the light of the revelation of God shone about them. And great fear came upon
them [they felt the fear of fears]. But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for I announce to you a great joy, which
shall be for all men on earth: today is born unto you the Bringer of Healing,
in the city of David, Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign for you: you
will find a little child wrapped in linen, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly around the angel was the fullness of the heavenly angelic hosts: their song of praise sounded forth to the highest:
God’s Spirit reveals itself in
the heights
And brings peace to men of earth
In whose hearts good will
dwells!
And as the angels withdrew from them into the heavens, the
shepherds said to one another:
“Let us go to Bethlehem to see the fulfillment of the Word
that has happened here, which the Lord let be proclaimed.”
And they came hastening, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen, they made known the Word that was spoken to them concerning this child. [or, When they saw that, they understood what had been told them concerning this child.] And all who heard it were astonished about what the shepherds said.
But Mary treasured [preserved] all these words, pondering them [turning them over] in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God to everyone for everything they had heard and seen, which was just as it had been announced to them.
Christmas II, Dawn
December 25, 2015
Luke 2: 1-20
There is a story about the shepherd who didn’t go. When on
that first Christmas night the shepherds heard the good news from the angels,
one of them, a young boy named Dahvid, did not go with them. He wanted to, but
he could not, because he had given his word to his master, mean strict Old
Abraham, that come day, come night, come life, come death, he would not fail to
keep the flocks. He wanted to go, and wept tears of disappointment when the
others left, but he found a certain comfort in thinking of the helplessness of
his flock.
After the others had gone, wolves indeed came and made
off with one of the sheep. Dahvid followed them and found the two wolves
fighting over the sheep at the bottom of ravine. One left, but the other
attacked him, biting him on the leg and arm. Nevertheless he managed to kill it
with a heavy blow from his staff. With great and slow effort he and the wounded
sheep slowly climbed out of the ravine and made their way back to the flock,
where the boy collapsed.
As dawn was brightening, Old Abraham came to check his
flocks. He grew angry when he called and there was no answer. When he found Dahvid
lying on the ground, he thought for a moment that the boy was asleep. But when
he caught sight of the white face and bleeding arm, and the wounded sheep, a
strange tenderness rose in him. He realized that the boy had not forgotten his
promise. He bid his servants to take the boy to the inn for care.
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| Gerrit Honthorst |
The unconscious boy was taken to the stable of the inn. Upon
waking he heard the cry of the Child whom the other shepherds had gone to see.
One of the shepherds brought the Child
and laid Him in Dahvid's arms, the Child for whose coming the people had been
longing for a thousand years.
The color at length came back to Dahvid's white cheeks, and
strength and health to his limbs and he went back again to the plain. Old
Abraham embraced him, "Forgive me, my son. I have been a hard master. Thou
hast been very faithful, and for thy reward I make thee lord over all my flocks
and half of them shall be thine own."
So Dahvid became a man of flocks, and all his days he was
known among the other shepherds as the one who had held the Christ-child in his
arms. And there was none among them who was thought so brave, and gentle, and
wise as the Shepherd Who Didn't Go.*
Adapted from *The Shepherd Who Didn't Go", in The City that Never Was
Reached, by Jay T. Stocking; published by the Pilgrim Press.
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