The Shepherds

If You Knew My Story - Bright Star

Luke 2: 8-18

We all know the Christmas story, the shepherds were tending their flock by night when angels appeared announcing the birth of the Messiah.

15When 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." 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Why do you suppose that God chose the shepherds to be the first to announce the birth of the Savior to? It’s not like there weren’t other people around. Bethlehem was so crowded that there was no room in the inn. Not to mention shepherding was a very lowly profession. They were not respected in society. They kept their sheep on the outside of the gates of the city because the smell was not pleasant. They had to keep their sheep from wandering, make sure they were well fed and keep them safe. And yet they were the first to know of Jesus’ birth.

When they were told how did they react? They believed, they obeyed and then they told others. As soon as the angels left they went to find Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Then they spread the word!!!

Bright Star is a musical written by Steve Martin (yes that Steve Martin) and Edie Brickell set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I will allow you to enjoy the musical on your own but the opening number is If You Knew My Story. It is sung by Alice who is a journalist but now wants to tell her story. The chorus is:

If you knew my story

My heaven and my hell

If you knew my story

You’d have a good story to tell

Me I’m not alone

Tell me I’m not alone

We all have a story to tell. So what’s yours? You can’t use the excuse “you are just ordinary” because it doesn’t get much more ordinary than the shepherds. Until we know our story we can’t tell others about it. This Christmas I challenge you to think about your story. Write it down if you want. Then be ready, at any time to share as the Shepards did. And let people like Alice know they are not alone.

Reflection notes:

1. What is your story? Is there a time that you felt God’s presence or a time you felt very distant from God?

2. Who might benefit from your story?