I can never get beyond the fact that the first people to whom God chose to announce the birth of his son where shepherds. Not kings. Not wealthy CEOs. Not princesses or priests, but dirty, smelly shepherds.

Blue collar, these herders possessed neither power nor education. They lived away from polite society. They had nothing to give Jesus—which is perhaps the point.

Of many lessons we can draw from the story found in Luke, the most compelling to me is the reminder that every single person, even the lowliest in society’s estimation, remains a creature immensely valuable to God.

The Lord chose to first announce the greatest birth in all history, the delivery of our Savior, to people on the bottom rung. Something to ponder during our busy rush this time of year.

Luke 2 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Patrick Schneider