Lately I've done a lot of thinking about the circumstances surrounding Christ's birth.
From The Message, Luke 2:8-20 -
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."
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:
"Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him."
As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. 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!
The same passage from NRSV -
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
'Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!'
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Mary puzzles me. She deserves her own separate post.
The angels, though - oh, the angels. I can't even fathom what the shepherds experienced that night - can you imagine?! One minute you're alone on a hilltop, far outside the city, passively living out your existence and then THE ENTIRE EARTH AROUND YOU IS QUAKING IN SOUND AND LIGHT!!!!! It would be terrifying! It would be terrifying for us, and we live in a culture where song and light effects and surprises and out-of-the-ordinary types of things are commonplace. These shepherds didn't even interact with other people because their occupation prevented them from the opportunity. To be at once enveloped by blazing glory and light and the chorus of a multitude of God's angels would probably kill lesser humans. And then to go DO something about it?! Ah, if I had but half the faith of those shepherds...
They barely give me pause, though. The angels are really kicking me. I can't help but wonder a) if angels have conscious thought, and given that, b) if God made them aware of where Jesus' life would lead. My best guess is that they lack conscious thought. Because if they did, how could they sing so joyfully and profoundly and with such exultation without feeling incredible angst about the impending death of this beautiful newborn? Then again, without conscious thought, how could they truly, passionately be as excited - elated - about Christ's birth as they were?
These are the kinds of questions I wake up with. I'm going to get a cup of coffee and let me brain really start to work. I'll come back to Mary after that.
From The Message, Luke 2:8-20 -
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."
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:
"Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him."
As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. 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!
The same passage from NRSV -
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
'Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!'
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Mary puzzles me. She deserves her own separate post.
The angels, though - oh, the angels. I can't even fathom what the shepherds experienced that night - can you imagine?! One minute you're alone on a hilltop, far outside the city, passively living out your existence and then THE ENTIRE EARTH AROUND YOU IS QUAKING IN SOUND AND LIGHT!!!!! It would be terrifying! It would be terrifying for us, and we live in a culture where song and light effects and surprises and out-of-the-ordinary types of things are commonplace. These shepherds didn't even interact with other people because their occupation prevented them from the opportunity. To be at once enveloped by blazing glory and light and the chorus of a multitude of God's angels would probably kill lesser humans. And then to go DO something about it?! Ah, if I had but half the faith of those shepherds...
They barely give me pause, though. The angels are really kicking me. I can't help but wonder a) if angels have conscious thought, and given that, b) if God made them aware of where Jesus' life would lead. My best guess is that they lack conscious thought. Because if they did, how could they sing so joyfully and profoundly and with such exultation without feeling incredible angst about the impending death of this beautiful newborn? Then again, without conscious thought, how could they truly, passionately be as excited - elated - about Christ's birth as they were?
These are the kinds of questions I wake up with. I'm going to get a cup of coffee and let me brain really start to work. I'll come back to Mary after that.
1 comment:
I'm going to disagree with you on that point. I think that angels have conscious thought and that not only did they know that Jesus came to die, they knew that by so doing he would take away the sins of the whole world. And that is what made them so excited.
Also, I'm not a huge fan of that first translation. I understand that it is for people to read in more "modern" English, but if that is the direction that englishis going I'm not that impressed. It seems that there are some things that ought not be dumbed down and the Bible is one of them.
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