They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished
Luke 2:16-18
While reading today's passage, and having had to deal with some of the traffic on Harbison Boulevard, I had a bit of a re-epiphany. Re-epiphany is an epiphany that you had before and has smacked you in the noggin' one more time.
Do you know what gifts Jesus got for Christmas? Shepherds! That's right, people who smelled like sheep. You may say, "But Padre, the Bible says the Wisemen came and brought Him gold, frankincense and myrrh." True, but that occurred about two + years later. On the first Christmas, Jesus got a visit by a bunch of sheep scented men. And they were SO impressed that THEY had been chosen to see this child Jesus, that they ran through the streets telling everyone they saw about Him.
Then we look under our Christmas Trees at the stacks and stacks of gifts. We spend weeks and even months sweating, fighting, and getting frustrated on the safari to gather the gifts for Christmas. And on Christmas morning, we shred through the wrapping paper in seconds, boxes are torn apart in a few more seconds like a shark feeding frenzy, and then we sweat the bills that will arrive in January.
We may say we remember the True meaning of Christmas, but do we?
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