9 December 2007—Advent 2—Why the Shepherds

focusPoints:

Have you ever focused on the shepherds in the nativity scene? What do they have to teach us? What can we learn from them? The key word in Luke 2 is everyone. The angel said to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for everyone.”


forwardPoints:

Jesus’ birth is good new for everyone
· Jesus came for the lost (Mt. 9:9ff; I Tim. 1:15; Luke 15)
· Jesus came for the least (Luke 18:15-16)
· Jesus came for the lonely (Is. 7:14, Rom. 8:38-39)

We need to tell everyone about Jesus (Luke 2:15-17; Mt. 25:35-36; James 1:27)

(Fookes: Stockwell UMC Worship Message, 8 December 2007)


fellowshipPoints:

Jesus, as Provocateur, did not come to make us comfortable (Mt. 10:34) (Morris 18). He challenges us to go beyond the rule-maker’s way (Mt. 5:17, 20) (20) (A corollary is the way in which law is a first step towards ethics.)

Jesus insisted that we are to do good to those who are different from us and that we should not let social propriety or religious structures restrict the outreach of love (Luke 10:36-37; Lev. 19:33; Mt. 25:40) (Morris 90).

In welcoming and loving the stranger (Mt. 25:35) (Morris 94), we are not to stay behind the wall of our own group (Mt. 5:47) (96).

Synthesizing Morris to Fookes, Jesus teaches regarding:
· the lost → learn from Me (Mt. 19:21) (25);
· the least → listen to Me (Mt. 11:29) (25); and
· the lonely → love with Me.

If you don’t have time for others, you don’t have time for God. If you aren’t taking time to serve others, you aren’t being attentive to God. (Rev. David Hellmann, St. Bernard RCC, Liturgy of the Word Homily, 7 December 2007).

findingPoints:

Considering Fookes’ and Morris’ analysis of God’s grace as provocative because its for everyone:

Who are today’s “Samaritan’s”—despised or maligned groups—in our community? the nation? the world? (Morris 100)




Who do you know who is lost?




Who do you know who has little (spiritually, emotionally, physically, socially, and/or financially)?




Who do you know who is experiencing loneliness?




faithPoints:

Meditate in prayer how you can keep the lost, least, lonely, maligned, and marginalized close to heart, top of mind, and focus of action.