“Reflections of a Old Shepherd”
Luke 2:1-20
Scott Huie
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Hello, my friends. Fancy meeting you out here in these fields. My name is Amos Abner Habbakuk. As you probably guessed by all this garb and all these sheep, yes, I am a shepherd. As you can tell by the gray hair, yes, I’m an old shepherd, getting up there in years. Don’t walk quite as fast as in the old days. I tire a bit quicker too, but Lord willing, I hope to spend a few more years leading my clan and tending to all the flock. I feel like I’ve been a shepherd my whole life. And yes, my father was a shepherd too, as was my father’s father. As is my son, and will be my son’s sons.
At times we like to head north up to Bethlehem. On occasion we even make it to the big city, Jerusalem, where we go to spend a few days in the market selling our wool and animals. But most of our time is spent here in the hills and in the valleys where we tend our sheep. I can’t tell you the countless days we have spent roaming the land for food and water. And all those days and nights where we have had to deal with weather conditions of every sort, from wicked storms to awful droughts.
But don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the boredom. How could life be boring when we spend night and day looking to the moon, the sun, the stars, and the clouds to guide us? How could life be boring when at every moment, we have to be alert to our surroundings, always scouring the pastures for poisonous plants, scouting out new watering holes, and planning our next movement? How could life be boring when at any moment there could be a surprise attack from a wild animal or a snake or a thief? I may be old, but I am still alert. I still have my mojo. And my family and servants are always well-fed.
I have very little to complain about. As I look back on my life, I can’t help but smile. I have been a blessed man. And as I reflect on my past, I find myself returning to the memory of some thirty years ago when some special visitors came into our midst. It was a week I will never forget, a week that changed my life really.
It began on one of those restless nights. I was lying next to the fire trying to stay warm and get some shut-eye. But it was just one of those nights that I couldn’t fall asleep. I was thinking about a crazy rumor from a few weeks earlier that some of my shepherd buddies had had a visit from some angels and there was talk about the birth of our messiah. I didn’t know to believe it or not. Moreover, I was restless because I was just a few months removed from having lost my wife, the love of my life, who had died from a dreaded disease that she suffered through for quite a long time. At the time, I was a bitter, lonely man.
Well, as I was tossing and turning, suddenly I heard some commotion in the distance. The sheep started making noises and moving around, and then I heard one of the servants, Joel, shout out “Stop, thief!” I stood up. There was more chaos, and then out of the darkness came Joel and the other servants bringing two folks before us: a man and woman. The woman was carrying a little baby in a bundle. They looked frightened.
I asked, “Are you trying to steal my sheep?” The man strongly denied it. “Are you running from something?” I asked. He said, “I suppose you could say that.” “Did you commit a crime?” I asked. “No,” he said. “Then why are you running?” I asked. After a long pause, the man responded, “Because God told me to. He told me to take the baby and his mother and go to Egypt.”
I had heard some wild tales before, but this one almost made me laugh. But there was something about this couple. I knew they weren’t crooks. It was a mystery, but they seemed so scared and yet so confident at the same time. So weak and tired, yet so strong. Well I told them that they could stay the night with us and we would protect them. They seemed relieved and grateful. They settled in and all was at rest again.
But I still couldn’t sleep. As I lay there, somehow I just knew what I had to do come morning time. It seemed like my mission in life now was more than just tending sheep. During breakfast that morning, I told the couple, “We will now take the sheep and head south. If you would like to join us, you can. Mary, you can help with the food. Joseph, you can help with the sheep. If any outsiders approach, you must remain real quiet.” I then went to our supplies and pulled out some shepherd clothes. “Here’s something for you to wear,” I said, “that will make you blend in a little more and attract less attention.”
The couple welcomed my hospitality. My sons and my servants didn’t say much, but I could tell they were a little dumbfounded, maybe even shocked, at least at first. Here I was risking life and property to perhaps harbor a couple of fugitives from the law. But they all bit their lips and played along. After all, I was the master. As we hit the road, however, it wasn’t long before everyone seemed to get into it more. Everyone warmed up to this family. In fact, we developed a game plan: if a stranger approached, Joel was to give a whistle, which would signal Mary to hide her baby out of sight. It began to feel a bit exhilarating acting like smugglers. It was, like, a game we were playing.
On the second day of our travels, however, our “game” became a little more serious. From the distance, my cousin Joab came riding into camp on his horse. Catching his breath, he said, “Herod’s troops just stormed into Bethlehem and murdered in cold blood all the infant boys, probably 50 babies in all. All the mothers can be heard wailing away in grief. Y’all be on the look-out. Those troops might be sweeping the countryside next.”
With that, Mary began sobbing uncontrollably. Joseph immediately wrapped his arms around his wife. Our mission now as a group seemed to take on a new urgency. We decided to pick up our pace and head toward Egypt though not so fast as to draw attention to us.
Two days later as we were walking along, from the back of the herd, Joel let out a whistle. Mary knew what that meant and she quickly hid her baby under the covers. I looked back and saw a whole battalion of Roman soldiers approaching by horseback. The captain dismounted and came right up to my face and asked, “Where are you going and why are going in that direction?”
Hoping I wasn’t shaking too much, I said something about needing to head in that direction where there was a certain type of grass that will get our sheep ready for market. I was going on and on, and it became obvious that the captain didn’t know much or care about sheep. He raised his hand, cutting me off in mid-sentence.
I sure was relieved that they didn’t search our belongings and that Mary’s baby remained sound asleep under that blanket. It must have been just a routine patrol, as those soldiers left quickly as if searching for someone. As they left, they scooped up a couple of my more plump sheep. They said it would make for a good supper and a token of appreciation for Roman protection. As much as I was churning on the inside, I didn’t protest. I was just glad to see them leave. As they galloped away, we all just let out a collective sigh of relief.
For the rest of the journey, we didn’t face any more disturbances, thank goodness. We journeyed by day, and rested by night. I cherished those times around the campfire after dark. As I sat there next to the mother and her baby, I just marveled at the incredible love and joy that was shared between those two. I could see it in their eyes, the innocence, the beauty, and anticipation of things to come.
I was sensing that Mary was more than an everyday mom who was reveling in the presence of her newborn. I was sensing somehow that Mary’s eyes sparkled with the realization that her baby was a unique, special gift from God. It was like she knew she had this important job to do. It was like she had some secret that she was living with, and that if she didn’t let it out, she was going to burst. It made me think of that rumor again—of angels visiting shepherds and a special baby being born.
Well at the end of our week together as we were getting a little closer to Egypt, it wasn’t long before the grassland was changing into desert land. We couldn’t go any further without jeopardizing the well-being of our sheep. It came time to say good-bye. All of us, family, servants, even sheep, gathered together one last time.
I asked Mary if I could hold her baby one last time. As I held him, I didn’t know what to say really. There were intense feelings of gratitude that we had just been a part of something bigger than ourselves. We were also saying good-bye to dear friends. I even choked up a little. Finally I said to Mary, “Joseph is a lucky man to have such a special wife and such a beautiful child.”
As if by impulse, Mary gave me a big hug. She was silent for a moment, but then she just blurted out, “He’s beautiful, yes. But he is so much more. He is God’s gift to the world. Through him, God is going to set the world free.” It was like Mary had just shared her secret, a secret I already had a sense of. We cried. We laughed. Joseph approached and gripped my hand long and said, “Thank you for your kindness. Yahweh, the Lord, has brought us together for such a time as this.”
As Mary and Joseph with child in hand began to leave walking toward Egypt, I found my sadness somehow turning to joy. Though they were leaving me, I was discovering what I know now—and that is, a part of them has stayed with me. Ever since that encounter some thirty years ago, my life has been changed in so many ways. I began to have a newfound appreciation for life and all the little blessings that life brings. From the beauty of a sunset to the hard work that my servants provide, I have learned to live life with gratitude. I was able to love again, and married a wonderful new wife, and together we had three more children, who have since all married and provided me with four grandchildren.
My life has changed, all because of a child and his parents who came into my life a long time ago. That boy is surely a man now. I’m not sure where he is, but I do know that I have already experienced that deliverance that his mother had promised. For me, those words of the ancient prophet have been fulfilled: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given….And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” So that’s my story. Thanks for listening. Now may you go and discover that deliverance too. Have a blessed day!