Mysteries Of JoySample

The Nativity The third of the mysteries to ponder is perhaps the most well known of our Bible stories, but nonetheless deserves careful consideration. It is worth reading and re-reading the account given by Luke, and trying to reflect on what he, as an evangelist, is trying to present to us in the story. The difficulty with the nativity story is that we think we know the story so well that we miss the carefully crafted message of the individual writer. Luke writes very little about the actual journey to Bethlehem, the stable, or even the birth. It is all matter of fact and normal. The key aspect of the story for Luke is the experience of the shepherds. They receive the profound news from the angel, a profound announcement of God in action, and in faith they go to see for themselves. The actions of the shepherd is one of faith. They do not go into the town to see if it has happened. They go into town because they believe that it has happened. The announcement given to the shepherds is one of great joy, and this joy is infectious. Imagine the joy and laughter of the shepherds as they found the baby just as it had been described to them, the joy that God is indeed in action, that things will get better, that the saviour has been born. Somehow life will get better for them maybe, but certainly for their children and their children’s children. They go back to their normal daily lives, returning to watch over their sheep, but in their hearts something has changed. We can only speculate at what changes this brought about in their lives, but it is easy to imagine the ripples of joy as they go about their lives. How would they treat their wives, children, family, and friends? Everything becomes more bearable when we know that God is in action, when we know that somehow it will all be alright. Maybe the challenge for us today is to try to live as the shepherds did, to live freely in the knowledge that God is in action, to live as a people of hope. Pray a simple prayer over and over as you consider this piece of scripture.