Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Unlikely Heralds

Matthew 2:12
"In a dream, the wise men were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country."

Luke 2:20
"The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!"

So the wise men and the shepherds all took off. They'd followed stars and listened to choirs of angels. There must have been a lot on their minds as they traveled. The wise men traveled a long distance. With how many people did they have a chance to share the Good News that the Messiah had come? Were lives changed as they traveled? Are there people who have relationships with Jesus today who are spiritual descendants of those with whom the wise men shared the Good News? Do you know of the Messiah because of the wise men? Could be.

How long were the wise men gone? Were they kings in their own lands? Some texts say kings...some say wise men. Whatever the case, we know they were followers of astrology. They searched the heavens for signs of what was to happen. They looked for portents in the stars to tell them the future. And God spoke to them in a language they could understand. God put a bright star in the sky so they would understand that something great was happening. God used the stars to signal to them that a great King had been born upon the earth. God spoke in their language. God chose them to be His messengers.

The shepherds went back to their sheep. They traveled back to their homes and along the way, they praised God. It says that they "let loose." That means they weren't being quiet about what they'd seen. It means they were ardent in their proclamation of the birth of the Savior! They were wild in their faith. And their words were probably crude and as un-poetic as you can get, like their crude exteriors, used to tending sheep. There words were possibly laced with the profanity of the day: "Holy sheep dung! We just came from a freakin' stable and saw the Messiah!" God went directly to the shepherds with His angel. God met them where they were. God chose them to be His messengers.

I love that the first evangelists were foreigners and smelly shepherds! Isn't that great? God chooses unlikely people to be His messengers. Do you know that means for you and me?

We are the very kinds of people God would choose to be His messengers. You and me...we’re unlikely people. Think of where you've been. Think of the things you've done. You and me, we're not rulers. We're not even mayors, let alone presidents or kings. You and me, we're just ordinary folks with great hang-ups, fumbling faults, and more than likely, colorful pasts which we'd have to explain if we were to ever run for any of these offices. If Jesus were to be born today, I imagine that God would choose a biker gang and some Buddhist priests from Nepal to be His messengers. He'd choose the homeless man you saw downtown. He'd send people like the Hispanic busboy who cleared your dishes from your table the last time you ate out. He'd send the prostitute hanging out on the street corner who thinks she's got good news, but whose life will change forever once the angel talks to her. That Viet Nam veteran you saw in his raggedy old army jacket, Johnson was his name...you know, the guy with the scraggly beard, missing his left arm who flinches every time there's a loud noise...He's God's messenger. You and me, we're not any better, nor are we all that different. We stink just as badly as those shepherds and we're foreigners in a strange land, trying to find a language so we can all understand each other.

God chooses unlikely people to herald what He's doing.

You and me? Hah! God chose us? Hello! What's He thinkin'? Why us? Well, it's precisely because we are who we are that God came to us and spoke to us in our own language and met us where we were. God spoke to the wise men in their language and met the shepherds where they were. He did the same for us. With all of our hang-ups, faults, and the sins of past and present, God came to us, speaking in a language we could understand and our lives have been forever changed. We are the very wise men and shepherds of this world. Are you laughing yet? Me too.

But think of it...God chose you and me! Boggles the mind, huh? Why us? It's pretty simple, it's because we have faults...it's because we've sinned...it's because we can speak the language and have "been there, done that, and bought the T-shirt" that God has come to us. We can understand and relate. We've been down in the dumps. We've been trod upon at one time or another by the cultural elite of this world. We've been taxed and taunted, exploited and excluded. We know what it is to be alone. We know hurt. We know betrayal. We understand what it's like to want more and receive less because at one time or another, we've been a stinky shepherd. We understand what it's like to be a foreigner because at one time or another, we've all experienced not being allowed to "join in any reindeer games."

"For unto us this day is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." That's very poetic, ain't it? How will we say this in a language that the weary and downtrodden, the homeless and the mortgage-bearer with the 8.5% variable interest rate can understand? What words will we use? How will we "let loose?" Will our words be poetic drivel, cheesy and beige? Or will we speak with the colorful slang languages we each use in our own lives?

And so we find ourselves on our way back to our homes and villages, called to let loose in the very same way those shepherds and wise men did. We find ourselves, with all of our hang-ups, faults, and colorful pasts being the very messengers of God!

We are unlikely heralds, huh? What's God thinkin' anyway?

Be WILD For Christ!

Pastor Shane

2 Comments:

Blogger DAVe said...

Hi, I am DAVe, A listener and friend of Taylor Kent the Snarky Avenger. Nice writings.

10:52 AM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

Hey Dave,
I'm so very sorry...I hadn't checked this out in a while and just now noticed your post. Thank you for the kind words.

And any friend of the Snarky Avenger is a friend of mine!

8:39 AM

 

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