Everyone is invited

In the second chapter of Luke's gospel, we read, "About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel. There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

There is a lot to see in this passage. But let's concentrate on the sentence, "I'm hear to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide."

The angel comes to shepherds in the fields to announce a "worldwide" event. That's like God coming to me to announce world peace is being invoked. That's like me being told to tell the president what he should do about social security.

God uses not only common folks in the fields, but those who smell like sheep, those without income, those without homes (for to stay in the fields means to stay in caves during the winter with the sheep).

God uses whom he so desires. He came first to the common (Mary, Joseph, the shepherds), then to the wise (men).

Here's the wonderful moment: God comes to us to announce worldwide the he desires the world be saved. Are we stained-glass heroes? No. But our faith can be the same. Our witness can be the same.

I love the fact that the shepherds were the first outside the immediate family to see the baby. Yet none of them are named. Framed in the gospel for more than 2,000 years, yet they are anonymous. Invited to THE event, yet without name-cards.

That's who we all are. Unnamed but saved by grace.

Everyone was invited. Shepherds came.