Day six.

         While Joseph and Mary were struggling in the streets of Bethlehem, a group of shepherds were settling in for the night in a pasture out and away from the small but over crowded town. We know from written records that the way it would work was that a shepherd would tend the flock of an owner. Anything over 90 to 100 sheep was too many sheep for one man to properly watch. Most owners had more than one flock and at night the shepherds who worked for an owner would bring their flocks together. The shepherds would enjoy the company of one another around a fire and then half of them would get some sleep while the other half stood guard over the flock. At some point during the night the two groups would switch out. In the morning there would be breakfast and then the various flocks would split up for the day. Each sheep knew their shepherd’s voice and would follow his command.

         In that society, shepherds were despised. They did very important work, but they had no time off. Zero. They had to spend all their time in the field. They were, in the view of the Jews, Spiritually unclean. According to the custom, if a man handled a dead animal (not someone who slaughtered an animal for food or someone who cut the animal up or someone who cooked it, but someone who dealt with it in the wild) he was unclean until a priest could give him the cleansing rites. Shepherds never had time to come in for the cleansing, but they handled dead animals often. One of the sheep killed by a wild animal and the carcass left to be disposed  of or maybe the shepherd was able to kill the attacking animal and then had to bury the carcass. Shepherds often never married. Such a thing would cause him to have to give up his job. A shepherd would seldom bathe. The water in the fields was meant for the sheep to drink. Shepherds were mostly considered too stupid to do anything else, which was, of course, wrong. But it was the view. They were at the bottom of the societal ladder, just above criminals.

         Yet, the Scripture consistently compared the Lord to a good shepherd. One has to wonder how the priests worked around that little fact.

         Occasionally you will hear someone say about an event in Scripture, “Oh, I would have loved to have been there!” The raising of Lazarus, Jesus walking on the water, the walls of Jericho coming down, manna from heaven, crossing the Red Sea. So many amazing events! But I think I would have liked to have been sitting with those shepherds around the fire before they turned in. The chatter of friends, the telling and retelling of stories, maybe playing some game. Men who faced wild animals and harsh weather and dealt with sheep that wandered off and who had only each other for company and for help. I would have loved to have been there and watched as the angel appeared and told them of the Baby, and then listened as the heavenly host sang their praises to the Lord. I suppose, even if I had known what was coming, I would have been as stunned as those men were.  

         The angels departed. The men turned to each other and, probably all talking at once, decided to go to Bethlehem to see the miracle.

         Now, what of the gathered flock? Did all the shepherds go to Bethlehem and leave the sheep unattended? Did they leave an unlucky shepherd to guard the sheep? All the Bible says it that they decided they would go. The Bible says “the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” It doesn’t sound like they left anyone behind. I would think that, to them, there was something more important. And I would also think that those sheep were well tended by angels while the shepherds were gone. God doesn’t leave loose ends.

         Joseph would have opened the door into the barn. Just somewhere to shelter for the night. But once inside, Mary’s discomfort became clearly visible. The Baby, the Son of God, was ready to enter the world. The King of Heaven and earth was about to be born in stable where animals stayed.

         It has been argued that Joseph could not have delivered the Baby. There had to have been a midwife. But the Bible says that when the shepherds arrived there was just Jesus and Mary and Joseph. We don’t see the actual birth in Scripture. Have you ever wondered how it all came down? How did a carpenter handle the moment?

         I think we can surmise some things, based on what we have seen so far. And we will do that. But right now I am tired. It has been a long day. I think I will head off to bed and pick the rest up tomorrow.