But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The good news is for ‘all the people.’ The angel did not appear to the wealthy, the political, or the religious, but to shepherds.
In our day we think of shepherds in sentimental terms, humble guys that everybody would want to be around, but Jesus’ day they were at the very bottom of the social structure. You’ve heard people say, “She cusses like a sailor.” In those days there was a saying, “He lies like a shepherd.”
Fairly or unfairly, the character of a shepherd was not highly regarded. Shepherds tended to be socially inept and culturally reviled. The work was dirty and dangerous and typically they had few other work options. If you were a good Jew you didn’t want your daughter to marry a shepherd.
They were not even allowed to testify in court. If you were accused of a crime and the only alibi was that you’re playing cards with a few shepherds you were hosed and there was nothing you could do. They didn’t even own the sheep.
So, when the angel came to bring good news to all people, he demonstrated it by starting at the bottom. It had nothing to do with who they were.
Luke tells us that, a great company of angels appeared with the angel praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:13-14
Peace means a lot of things to a lot of people. What does peace mean to you? It usually means the end of something—the end of a war, the end of grief, or the end of a conflict.
Is there a promise here of any of the above? No, not really. All those are at best temporary forms of peace. Wars will break out again. Babies will cry again. Relationships will go sideways.
What kind of peace are the angels referring to?
The peace that only the Messiah can bring is a personal, permanent kind of peace.
Those on whom His favors rest are those who understand and embrace this truth. God is offering us peace in our relationships. I’d like to tell you that this Christmas and beyond you can have peace in all your relationships, but I can’t. The Bible doesn’t promise it either.
We all know people that seem to thrive on conflict. If they don’t have any, they can create some on the spot. It is wishful thinking to believe that we will never experience interpersonal conflict or be free from conflict.
We have the capability to not be that kind of person. If we are at peace with God and at peace with ourselves; it’s amazing how much that will improve our ability to be at peace with others. In other words, our level of internal peace affects our ability to experience relational peace.
We are bombarded with messages that promise we’ll know peace if we buy the right products, attend the right course, get the right job, the right relationship. Others convince our peace is found in our independence, never being committed to anyone or anything. The peace that the world offers is temporary at best and fatal at worst—that we fail to believe the peace proclaimed by the angels and promised by Jesus himself.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
We often think of peace as a being without trials and troubles—the absence of pain and suffering and heartache. That kind of peace, while nice, cannot be sustained. Not in this world.
So, we need a peace that transcends circumstance; that allows us to rise above the urgency of the immediate, having a clear head and a peaceful heart in the midst of the chaos that defines daily life. That’s part of what the angels’ song is about and why Jesus said.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
May you embrace and share God’s Shalom!
