Jesus loves the Social Outcasts

Happy second Sunday of Advent! Today's reflection comes from my dear friend Molly Mathers. She's super smart and insightful, so congratulations to you for getting to reading her words.

“Baby Jesus was born in the dark of night, surrounded by his teenage parents and a handful of dirty animals as the instrumental sounds of ‘Silent Night’ filled the manger. Joseph took a selfie of the new family and posted it to Facebook— ‘And baby makes three!’ As the world heard of Jesus through social media, many made their way to Bethlehem to see the new family and offer unsolicited parenting advice.”

Luke 2 (2015 Translation)

Or maybe God took a slightly less conventional route when it came to announcing Jesus’ birth.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.”

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as he lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Christ. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Luke 2:8-20 (NRSV)

We associate shepherds with Old Testament heroes such as Abraham, Moses, and David, but by the time of Jesus’ birth shepherding had devolved from a noble calling to a job for second-class citizens. Shepherds were near the bottom of the social food chain. They were assumed thieves, for many allowed their flocks to graze off the produce of others’ land. The religious were forbidden from buying products from shepherds because they had most likely been stolen. Rabbis banned shepherding in Israel except on desert plains. Shepherds couldn’t hold government positions or even serve as witnesses in court because they were considered untrustworthy.

Think of the practical reality of life as a shepherd. Have you ever been on a camping trip longer than a weekend? How did you smell after a few days sleeping on the ground without a shower? Now add in a couple hundred sheep to the picture. Unfortunately most sheep don’t look like the cute little lamb pictured below. Sheep are notoriously dirty and stupid animals. Shepherds lived most of their lives outside away from society, constantly watching over and protecting their sheep from April to November. (Spoiler: scholars agree that Jesus’ birthday wasn’t December 25th.) All of this kept shepherds from holding to traditional Jewish laws of cleanliness, further alienating them from society.

These are not the kind of people I want coming to my firstborn’s baby shower. So why, after 400 years of silence from God, was “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3) first revealed to a bunch of dirty, thieving social outcasts instead of to kings or important religious leaders? What does this reveal about the heart and character of God?

1. The good news is good for everyone. In the ancient world there was no one more important than Caesar. Each time a new Caesar was born, it was proclaimed as “good news” throughout the Roman Empire. Everyone had to celebrate, even though for most people this meant continued oppression through an unjust system. The angel’s proclamation that Jesus would bring joy to all people, including these marginalized shepherds, was unprecedented. Jesus would not perpetuate the system, he would deliver everyone (not only the Jews) from it. In this we see a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ministry and the message later proclaimed through the the New Testament. Jesus has come to deliver and redeem all things, beginning with a group of lowly shepherd boys outside Bethlehem.
2. The marginalized have a voice. Remember that Israel had been waiting for hundreds of years for their deliverer. The shepherds delivered the news that Jesus was to be this savior, Christ the Lord. “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name— it is a title meaning “anointed one,” the Messiah who was sent to deliver Israel. The angels could have come to anyone, but God entrusted this glorious announcement to shepherds, giving them a voice in the story. This is significant: the powerless and voiceless were given the task of proclaiming the most important and most glorious news that has ever come to humanity.
3. Stereotypes do not limit one’s place in God’s Kingdom. While some shepherds earned their poor reputation, others were victims of stereotypes and prejudice. The religious leaders generalized them into one category and re-enforced their ostracization. Despite this (or perhaps because of it) God drew them into the story and gave them a role to play in expanding the Kingdom. No matter how negatively society or religious leaders classify a group of people, they are not beyond the reach of what God can and will use to expand his Kingdom.

In light of the radical nature and announcement of Jesus’ birth, we must become introspective. Where are there parallels between shepherds and today’s society? Who is unexpectedly proclaiming good news today?  How do we let our prejudices limit the Kingdom? What people groups make us so uncomfortable or fearful that we simply tune them out?

Applying biblical truths of justice, equality, and love will help the Church navigate the thick layers of injustice that exist today.