Day 12: The Shepherds Hear the Good News
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.- Luke 2:15-20
Devotional:
Last summer, my niece competed in a beauty competition at our local fair and won. My brother called me immediately, practically shouting with excitement. Before the night was over, he had texted everyone in the family, posted videos on social media, and probably told complete strangers at the gas station. When you experience something amazing, you just can't keep it to yourself.
This reminds me of a powerful moment during one of our church's community outreach events. We had been serving a local neighborhood for weeks, mostly met with polite indifference. Then one Saturday, a single mom broke down crying after receiving help with her electric bill. She showed up at church the next day with three other families she had told about her experience. Her joy was contagious, her testimony unstoppable.
The shepherds' response to seeing Jesus mirrors this kind of irrepressible joy. Notice their progression: they heard, they went, they saw, and then they couldn't help but tell others. There's no committee meeting, no strategic planning session, no formal training program. Just simple men who encountered something so extraordinary that they had to share it.
What strikes me about this story is the immediacy of their response. The text says they "hurried off" to Bethlehem. These were men who rarely left their flocks, whose livelihood depended on staying put. Yet something about this message compelled them to move, to see for themselves. And when they found everything "just as they had been told," their response was equally immediate – they became the first evangelists of the Christmas story.
But there's another beautiful detail here: while the shepherds were spreading the news far and wide, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." It reminds us that there are different ways to respond to God's voice. Some, like the shepherds, are called to shout it from the rooftops. Others, like Mary, are called to quiet contemplation. Both responses are valid, both are valuable.
Reflection Questions:
What was the last thing God did in your life that you couldn't help but share with others?
Are you more like the shepherds (immediately sharing) or more like Mary (quietly pondering) when you hear from God?
How might God use your natural response style?
Prayer Prompt: Ask God to give you both the shepherds' urgency to respond to His voice and Mary's heart to treasure His works, finding the right balance for each moment in your journey.