Luke 2:8-20
An Angel Appears to Nearby Shepherds
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
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.”
16 So 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 6:17-26
Blessings and Woes
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon,18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20 Looking at his disciples, he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
24 "But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
Matthew 25:44-46
The Least We are to Help
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
One today can look around and see who are the least...They are not a part of the social elite of their communities...It isn't hard to find them...One that comes to mind are the homeless...God teaches us that we are to help our neighbors and especially these groups...There are some people who do need help...
God invited shepherds to Jesus birth...Invited to the birth of His Divine Son, who was born in a manger...The shepherds were not a part of the social crowds of Israel, yet they are the ones invited and who get to see the LORD first...God Loves shepherds...Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were shepherds...Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)...Our Father in heaven shows that He does not want anyone lost...God is the Champion of the underdog...He Loves the least, the one's that are struggling, and the lost...He Loves the servant, who is serving...He wants them to be near Him, as well as near to everyone -but by having His angels invite the shepherds to the birth of Jesus shows us something...It shows God cares for everyone, and not only the ones who have many material things, but also for ones with the least of things...
Jesus would grow up and be just a poor carpenter, with no education, who never had a family with a wife or any children...He in this way, very unique, because He was in need of nothing...He was in need of nothing, because He completely trusted and depended on His Father...And unlike us, He knew that He would come through for Him...We have our doubts when the times get hard, we struggle, and things start to get thin in thought...We start to get anxious and uncertainties move in...But not with Jesus...He completely trusted and knew that God would take care of Him...
When Jesus grew up and became a minister, He gave His famous Sermon on the Plain...He would continue in His teachings for all of us not to forget anyone, especially the least in our societies, and the least of our world...Would you say in your own personal words, that you would like to be poor, and hungry, and insulted by your peers?...It really is a difficult thing to say, when most of us want to be rich and have many material things...But those with many things are cautious and watch over what they have...Is it harder for them to invite the lost and brokenhearted to their Son's Birth, or one of their parties?...If God and Jesus Love the underdog, the lost, and the least -shouldn't that be what we do also...