Psalm 42, Luke 2:8-20, Luke 19:29-34
Two shepherds, young brothers
Sat in the field, keeping watch over their flocks.
The night was lonely,
And even though they had their sheep for company
And each other,
They knew that something was missing.
They yearned for something more.
As a deer longs for the flowing streams
As the deer yearns for water,
Their souls longed for God.
For the living God, to fill their emptiness
They had such a need of their Lord.
They yearned to see him face to face.
The night was cold
The stars were bright.
Suddenly, the heavens were alight with angels,
The glory of the Lord was all around them,
And fear filled their souls.
The angel said,
“Do not be afraid,
I am bringing you good news.
I am sharing with you great joy.
The Messiah is born!”
The angel told them how to find God’s son.
And the heavens were filled with the praise of their song.
The shepherds, young brothers,
Left behind their sheep,
Left behind their doubt,
Left behind their fear,
And went to Bethlehem.
There they found the Lord.
They saw him face to face.
They told everyone what had happened,
And their souls were filled
With the glory of God.
They had had a need of the Lord,
And it had been filled.
They had seen their Lord,
Face to face.
Many years later,
When the baby had become a man
And the shepherds had become men,
The Messiah came to Jerusalem.
Jesus sent two of his disciples
Two of his followers
To a nearby village.
He told them what they would find.
A colt, never been ridden.
He told them what to do,
He told them what to say,
And sent them on their mission.
They found the colt,
Untied it,
And told the questioning owners
As they had been instructed:
“The Lord has need of it.”
The disciples had found the colt,
But they had also found two men,
Who had been changed
When they had met the son
Face to face.
Kim Matthews
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