daily java

Daily Java:

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. (Luke 2:16-20)

It is hard to imagine the first time, but here it was. The shepherds were sitting around minding their own business and suddenly, a choir of angels began to sing. It was probably frightening.

When the angels told them to go to Bethlehem and see the baby, they went. They probably had no idea which baby or where, but they were not about to disobey angels. You can almost imagine them thinking about going house to house when they just kind of gravitated to the stable. There, among all the people and all the babies who were probably born that night, was one who was the King of Israel. And they found him.

It startled Mary and Joseph when a bunch of smelly shepherds came into the stable. Joseph’s first impulse may even to have been to jump in front of Mary and the baby to defend them.

He soon realized that they were from God.

But why shepherds? Why someone so lowly, so menial, so far down the social level? Why not someone better and greater?

He soon found out that Jesus had come to the world, not the “powerful and important.” He came to shepherds as well as kings. He came to everybody.

Soon though, the shepherds left. And Joseph was left with Mary and the baby, his new family, his new responsibility. It was not his child, and he – along with the entire village of Nazareth – knew it. But he loved Mary, and because of that, he loved Jesus.

And life went on.

Glory came down and then everything went back to normal. But meanwhile, the grace and love of God in the form of a baby lay sleeping, dreaming whatever dreams babies dream, waiting for the day he would sacrifice himself for humanity.

Mary adjusted his blanket and went to sleep herself. And Joseph waited. He wondered if something else was going to happen tonight.

daily java

Daily Java:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:16-20)

She was holding the baby. It had been an ordeal for her and she was tired. Joseph was sitting next to her, stroking her hair. What a man, to love her anyway and to accept this child as he had done.

It was nice and quiet. She could hear the soft murmur of the other people in the stables. There had been a lot of folks in the same situation she and Joseph were in, unable to find lodging. It seemed to her that everybody had come from here. When Caesar Augustus told them to come to their birth city to be registered in the census, she just figured they would get some place to stay. All of her family had moved to Nazareth, so there weren’t any relatives to stay with.

But when she got here, there were a lot of people. The people they had traveled with had the same problem, too. Fortunately, there was man who owned a large stable. He saw the opportunity to make some money, so he took it and rented it to them.

One good thing about it, though. It was warm and comfortable and the manger made a great bed for Jesus.

So there they sat, just being with each other.

There was some noise outside. She looked to see what it was. Joseph got up and went to find out. A whole bunch of really smelly shepherds came in the door and came towards her. Joseph’s first instinct was to jump in front of her to protect her, but she realized that they meant them no harm. They were looking for the baby. Is that him, they asked?

The shepherds told them of how angels had appeared and sang to them and told them to go find the baby. When the angels came, it was so beautiful and they were scared to death. They thought they were about to die.

They didn’t know why they had come to them, but one thing was for sure, they were not about to disobey a bunch of angels.

She held the baby out for them to look at. Joseph stood close to make sure they didn’t grab it or something. But she knew they were okay.

They didn’t stay long. They left singing and praising God.

When the shepherds had left, the other people in the stable asked her why they had come. But she had no real answer for them.

But she never forgot. Never. Neither did Joseph. Every once in a while, they would talk about it.

When Jesus got older, she told him about it. He was in his 20’s and had already figured out that God had some job for him. he wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt it.

What a night, though.