THE EARLY YEARS

Strangers In The Night

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at 
night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, 
and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news 
of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born 
to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths 
and lying in a manger." 

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and 
saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 

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." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the 
manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them 
about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But 
Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, 
glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they 
had been told  (Lk. 2:8-20).

Who is usually the first person to visit a mom, dad and their newborn baby?  Grandparents?  Aunts?  
Uncles?  Close friends?  Perhaps, even the preacher?

One thing is certain—most of us wouldn't expect complete strangers.  And, yet, that's who visited 
Mary and Joseph shortly after the birth of their firstborn son.  In the darkness of the night, amidst the 
confusion of the evening and after the exhaustion of hours of labor, the rustle of footsteps was heard 
outside the barn.  Was it someone coming to check on the livestock?  Were other pilgrims seeking a 
place of refuge from the chill of the night?  Could it be someone intent on robbing this young family in 
their moment of vulnerability?

Joseph and Mary must have huddled closely, trembling, as a torch lit up the entrance to their 
makeshift nursery.  First, one shadow; then another; followed by several others appeared on the dirty 
wall of the old stall.  Who was it and what did they want?  "Who's there?" Joseph demanded, faking 
courage to hide his fear.  

Quietly, several figures stepped from the shadows, their bodies draped in the garb of the herdsman.  
Slowly, one after another rough and rugged face peered out from under the cloaks that covered their 
heads.  "It's true," one of them said slowly.  "There's the baby in the feeding-trough!"  The wonder on 
their faces was matched only by the fear on Mary and Joseph's.

"You're not going to believe what we're about to tell you," one of the shepherds whispered.  How 
many times had Joseph heard that line?  Slowly, the fear began to fade.

"We were out in the fields with our sheep a couple of hours ago when an angel appeared to us," 
began the old shepherd.  "We were scared to death," another added.  "He told us that the long-
awaited Messiah had been born and that we would find him lying in a manger in a barn in 
Bethlehem."

Joseph and Mary sat spellbound as the shepherds told of the heavens bursting open and of the 
angelic host joining in song.  The beloved physician Luke tells us that Mary "treasured" every detail in 
her heart.

I wonder how long they stood there, each shepherd sharing his unique perspective on the evening's 
events; each peeping underneath the strips of cloth to view the little baby.

Finally, one of the shepherds remarked, "We'd better get back and check on the sheep."  One by one 
they said their goodbyes and took one last glance at the one who would become the "good shepherd" 
who would lay down his life for his sheep.

"Wait!" Mary chimed.  "How did you say that song went—the one the angels were singing?"

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests," responded 
the singer of the group.  As they turned to walk away, Mary heard a faint humming of the melody as 
the strangers vanished back into the night.

When was the last time you gave glory to God and thanked Him for the peace that came into the 
world that night so long ago?  Why not go out into the darkness tonight and remember the stranger of 
the night who visited Mary, Joseph and a newborn baby so long ago?  If you listen carefully, you 
might hear the faint humming of a melody heard for the first time so long ago!

See you next week!