Glorifying God

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

GLORIFYING GOD

 

Luke 2:16-20

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

NIV

One short phrase, “they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, does not fully explain what happened. How do a group of shepherds that had gathered together in the night watch to guard their sheep, just hurry off? We do understand from other sources that it was common for several shepherds to put each one’s sheep together within some kind of pen, usually a walled enclosure, camping and sleeping at the opening, to protect them from wolves or other predators. So to just hurry off does not seem to fit in context with the task of the shepherd. Did they take the time to call out each one’s sheep, as again we know the sheep only respond to the voice of their own shepherd, or did they leave one in charge while the rest hurried off? We will never know, but the fact is they did hurry off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. Once again, a few words that carry far more meaning. The Greek word translated as found is aneuriskoo, meaning to find out by search. This word is used only one other time in the New Testament, and it is in the acts of the Apostles which Luke wrote also. It was used when Paul arrived in Cyprus and found some disciples. He had to search the town, he did not magically just find believers all over. The point is that we have made such a tradition of Baby Jesus lying in a feeding trough for animals and a few shepherds with a couple of sheep along with the three wise men, all gathering together in some stable. Are we right in this type of representation of the arrival of Jesus or have we just imagined through tradition some fantasy someone thought up from a misinterpretation of the scriptures or misunderstanding of the times. Nevertheless, the shepherds did find, through a careful search where Mary and Joseph were staying. Once they found them, they shared their experience with the angel and the host of other angels praising God. Seeing this newborn Jesus was a validation of all the angel told them and Mary treasured all this witness about her son, who she knew how he became her son and who he was. Here is the key in this narrative regarding treasuring everything that has been revealed to us about Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Do we treasure, do we keep it safe in our hearts, all we know about Jesus. Sure, we are supposed to spread the good news, and yes, we are supposed to do what we have been called to do. We busy ourselves with good works, maybe because we either want to validate our life in Christ or please God in some way. Maybe we would rather have some rules to live by so we could be “Good Christians”. But do we treasure Jesus in our hearts, do we ponder on all the celebration of his arrival, not just in the world, but His arrival in our hearts, so we can glorify God?