LOUD RAUCOUS NIGHT!

LOUD RAUCOUS NIGHT!

Luke 2:8-16 KJV

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

          All is calm – all is bright! At least that is what the song says. In our mind we imagine the shepherds perhaps sitting at the mouth of one of the many caves near Bethlehem. Their sheep likely were huddled inside the cave for the night. A small fire would be kindled for warmth and light and the shepherds would be quietly talking. Silent night!

          Suddenly a booming voice (do not all angels speak in a booming voice?) says: “Don’t be afraid. I bring good news to you and to everyone! Tonight, in the nearby city of David a savior has been born. He is Christos the anointed of God. He is kurios the Lord, supreme in authority. He is Messiah!

          This announcement caused a plethos, a huge number of angels to explode in collective and personal ecstasy. The Bible does not say that they were singing or even shouting but simply “saying.” The sound must have been like a food fight in a mess hall. Each individual angel struggled to make his very own praise heard above the rest. The air must have crackled with the power of it.

          Their message was one of eirene, peace, rest and prosperity. The angels announced a new era of eudokia, good will or kindness with purpose. God had done something marvelous beyond description and the proof of it was now resting in a feeding trough in Bethlehem. God came down at Christmas and this great gift was wrapped in strips of cloth bundling him tightly.

          And just as suddenly as they came the angels were gone. Slowly the shepherds talk among themselves and decide to confirm the truth of this vision. “Let us go to Bethlehem and see for ourselves if this is a dream or reality.” As they left they began to spread the news giving personal testimony to the verity of it. It caught like wildfire.

          It was anything but a silent night – but it was a holy night.

Dear Lord, thank you for making peace available to our sin-troubled hearts. Thank you also for looking upon us unworthy sinners with kindness and purpose. AMEN