The importance of spreading the Good News

Day 18

Scripture

Luke 2:19-20

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying, and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Devotional

“But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart” (v. 19)

How often as a parent when having a conversation with a long-lost family member, an old friend, or a new acquaintance that the topics of your children come up that you per say brag a little about them?

In this verse that wasn’t the case with Mary, here is a young mother between the age of 16 – 18 that was visited by an angel and told of the special child who was the Savior/Messiah/Jesus that she would give birth. After Jesus was born group of shepherds came to visit Jesus and they told the story of the angel visiting them and what greatness that would happen with this newborn.

Mary took everything that had been shared with her and held it in her heart didn’t share with others, was it because she was overwhelmed or was it because she was afraid people wouldn’t believe her.

The next verse again something else peculiar takes place:

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them” (v. 20).

Do you ever wonder why God would appear to shepherds? Why would angels appear to a group of individuals that were considered the uncleaned, they were just ordinary individuals?

Other than the angels, these ordinary shepherds are the first to proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ birth. it would be ordinary people who would later witness the Christ’s resurrection. God doesn’t classify individuals we are all his children, he has unconditional love for us, he never fails us.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, oh so often we get wrapped up in holiday parties or gift giving that we lose focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Lead us to the manger like you did the shepherds so long ago so that we will be reminded that you brought your son into this world as a baby to show and give us, peace, hope, love, and joy. We live in such a broken world continue to give us strength to follow your path and in turn we can lead others toward you. We pray this in son’s holy name - Amen

Challenge

Going forward through this year and into the years to come let us be like the Shepherds and go out into the community and spread the word of Jesus’s birth and what great things he has done in each of our lives.