Fr. Leo Pabayo
THE birth of the Messiah or the Christ was prophesied by the prophets and expected by the people of Israel. The prophecies were closely studied by their priests and scholars and read about in their synagogues. But when it actually happened it escaped the notice of everyone except Mary and Joseph and the poor shepherds and later on the Magi from the east. The birth happened in the silence of the night when all of Bethlehem and Israel was asleep. The shepherds learned of it because the angels told them.
This was the most significant happening in the world. But the most significant people in the worldly sense missed it.
Poets, essayists, painters and sculptors, etc. have been depicting this in their respective medium until now. They will continue to do so for the scene never ceases to inspire.
It was a blessed night and the first ones to be blessed next to Mary and Joseph were the shepherds. What was it in the shepherds that they were favored with this privilege? One image of the shepherds is that they were roughnecks who got into a fight at the slightest provocation. The prevailing image represented to us in the Bible however is that they were brave souls who were not afraid to fight off the wolves that would prey on their beloved sheep. In general the shepherds always had a significant place in the story of salvation. They seemed to have been among the favorites of God. David who was the greatest king of Israel was a shepherd before he became king
What was it that endeared the shepherds to God?
The sheep they pastured must have something to do with it. Being with the sheep day in and day out with plenty of time to contemplate them must have helped shape the personality and character of the shepherds.
An article in Google about sheep in the Bible that was written by a certain John Worcester in 1875 had this to say about the sheep: “Perhaps the most striking characteristic of sheep is that which the Lord describes in John. He says: The sheep hear (the shepherd’s) voice… (The shepherd) goes before them, and the sheep follow him… The shepherds of the East give a name to each member of their flocks, which the sheep soon learn, and to which they instantly respond… Another noteworthy trait is their memory of kindness. They never forget a little present of salt or grain, or a kind act of protection from danger; every benefit they repay with affection… (They) are remarkable also for their mutual affection. They love to feed with their heads close together, two or three of them frequently keeping their heads so close as to seem like parts of one animal… Affection for their shepherd is stronger than their mutual love… The sounds of affection which a mother sheep makes over her little lamb are of the tenderest kind… Another characteristic of sheep is patience. When a sheep is caught by the shearer, at first there is a short struggle, until she finds that she is firmly held and cannot get away. Then she gives up entirely… Lambs have always been regarded as emblems of Innocence… it has great need and strong desire for help; and its necessity and dependence are equaled by its trustful love for him who supplies its wants.”
Fr. John Gordon who raised sheep in his Independence Farm in Calaanan, Cagayan de Oro, said that when a sheep is about to be slaughtered it seems to willingly offer its neck to be slit, very much unlike a pig that is slaughtered.
These traits of the sheep must be one of the reasons why they were chosen by the Jews for sacrificial offering. Another animal like a pig that is slaughtered on the altar may turn the solemn occasion into a pandemonium.
The modern world has much to learn from the shepherds and the sheep. The modern world is lacking in trust and the peaceful disposition characteristic of the shepherds and the sheep. Modern life is largely characterized by aggressiveness. It gives much importance to competitiveness. Competitiveness is a favorite word of the government when it talks about improving our education and the economy. We have to be competitive with our neighbors, it is often said, as if we cannot provide for our people without competition and aggressiveness. Modern man likes to categorize people into winners and losers.
We need to learn from the simplicity, the humility, the meekness and docility of the sheep and shepherds to temper the harmful aggressiveness and competitiveness of the modern man.
May you have a blessed Christmas and a happy new year!
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
