Nobody Special…?

The story of Jesus’s birth is filled with beautiful scenes. These moments in history are rich with more than just beauty, though. They are rich with meaning.

One such scene—one of my favorites—occurs out in the fields near Bethlehem where the shepherds keep watch through the night over their flocks of sheep.

And while those shepherds are beloved by us, in their own day and time, they would have been found on the lower rungs of the social ladder.

In the eyes of their world, they were nobody special.

Yet, when God chose to announce the coming of His Son to the world, just look at what He did…

“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.’” (Luke 2:8–14 NIV)

God sent His angels with that great and glorious, eternity-changing news to a handful of humble shepherds out in the fields. Not to a king or to an emperor. Not to any of the rulers of this world. Not even to the leaders of little Bethlehem.

A Habit of His

Why the shepherds, though? After all, they were nobody special. At least not to the world.

Perhaps it’s because God has a habit of making Himself known to the nobody-specials of this world. To Hagar, lost and alone and wandering the desert wilderness. To an outcast former prince of Egypt who stumbled upon a burning bush. To a young shepherd boy whose own father didn’t worry about fetching him when it came time to choose a new king.

It’s a habit that Jesus continued—making Himself known to the nobody-specials of this world. He sought out the least, the lowly, and the overlooked when it came time to share His eternity-changing news. Like young fishermen tending their nets. Like that Samaritan woman at the well. Like the once-demon possessed Mary Magdalene as she wept outside His empty tomb.

With those shepherds out in their fields, Jesus proclaimed—right from the start—that He had a heart for seeking out and reaching out to the nobody-specials and making sure they knew that they were somebody special to Him. He still does it today. It’s a habit of His.

And perhaps God went first to them because He knew they would understand what His Son came to do. To gather and tend His flock. To seek and save the lost. To be their Good Shepherd, and to lay down His life for His sheep—even the “nobody-special” ones.

An Extraordinary Gift

Those ordinary shepherds were given an extraordinary gift. They were welcomed into that stable, to peer into the manger, to witness the coming kingdom of God.

And so are we.

Because God didn’t just announce His great and glorious news to those long-ago shepherds. He’s still proclaiming the Good News of His Son. He’s still inviting us into the stable, to peer over into the manger, to look into the face of unending love.

Let’s make it a habit of ours to accept His invitation.