There are a lot of shepherds in the Bible. If you think about it, it’s pretty easy to rattle off a half dozen biblical figures who did a stint chasing sheep and goats around: Abel, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, and the first dudes to meet Jesus to name a few.
Though these are significant characters in scripture, it’s clear that shepherding was a low-status position. In David’s story, we see that it’s what you do when you’re not old enough for the important work of defending the nation. And in Jacob’s case, his entire progeny had to live in the land of Goshen because shepherds were detestable to the Egyptians; this despite his son Joseph being the de facto pharaoh.
When we read Jesus’ words, “I am the good shepherd,” we think of his protection and care, and we feel comforted. But, considering that shepherds were ritually unclean, I don’t imagine the religious leaders considered it a lofty claim.
This is a season for reflecting on the plight of shepherds; they were unclean and isolated. With the incessant sanitizing, distancing, masking, we are all in an assumed state of uncleanliness, and I’m sure I need not remind you, we’re isolated as well. But like the shepherds, we are also on the verge of deliverance. They witnessed that glorious turning point in the ages when Christ came to cleanse the world and offer unfettered fellowship with him.
And we are at the turn of the season, when these long dark nights will be a little shorter with each passing day, and there is good hope of an answer to COVID very soon. Watch and imagine yourself in this story of hope. The saviour who makes all things clean came for shepherds, and he came for you too.