A short story loosely based on Luke 2:8-15.
Hi, I’m Jesse.
I’m 12 years old. I live with my family in Bethlehem and I’m training to be a shepherd, just like King David was all those years ago. My parents live in a large house at the edge of the town. It’s surrounded by a yard which is usually full of my father’s sheep and goats. At times like this when there are large numbers of visitors they let out a couple of guest rooms to make a bit more money, so father can buy even more sheep. I think he cares more for his sheep than he does for me. My father!
In fact at this moment my bed has been given to a visiting uncle, so my “bed” for now is a few wisps of straw against a stone wall edging a stubble-covered field. You see my father has arranged for his flock to graze the stubble left after the autumn harvest in another farmer’s field a bit out of town. And it has been “agreed” that I will spend a few days with his shepherds to see “if I can really do the job” as he said with a hint of threat in his voice. “Make this work or there will be trouble!” he seemed to say. So here I am: shepherd training day 2, well actually night 2.
Out in the fields
It’s not cold, but it is very dark, out here in the fields. Yes, I can see some lights, but they are away in the distance in the town, a mile away. Well, actually just over a mile away; I measured it in steps a few days ago. Such things are important to me. My father calls me obsessive and loses patience with me, but I just like to know, so I can tell others.
Here in the fields it is quiet, unlike Bethlehem. The town is busy, full of people returning to their place of birth to be registered for the census. When Caesar decrees something, my father says, it’s a good idea to do it!
But here I am, in a field of stubble on a dark chilly night, feeling lonely. And yet not alone, because I am accompanied by a large number of sheep, and goats. They are mostly lying down in the shelter of the same wall that I “sleep” against. I rest my back against the wall and wonder when I will see the first light of dawn. The stones against my back are still slightly warm from yesterday’s sunny September day. That’s a bonus!
With the sunrise will come real warmth, my second night of training will be over and I can return to my family home. But for now it is dark and a bit windy and the middle of the night and I’m thinking how nice it would be to be tucked up in a comfortable bed near my mother and my older brother and younger sister.
King David
And then I think of King David. He is the reason I am here. I have studied much about him as I prepare for my Bar Mitzvah. King David is my hero and it is exciting to be sitting out here on this hill tending sheep just like he did nearly 1000 years ago, perhaps in this very place! In fact he was probably a little older than me and maybe living out here all alone.
I’m not alone, not really. Just a few yards away there are three grown up shepherds sitting round a fire chatting about all sorts of things; the sorts of things grown men talk about, the sorts of things my mother warned me to close my ears to. “Those shepherds are very worldly” she warned me, “do not get involved in their conversations, they are not strict in following the Torah as we do. Just be careful, eh! And don’t upset your father!”
And so of course at first the men tried to involve me in their banter, but they soon realised I did not want to be part of it all; they weren’t displeased when I took myself off and tried to close my ears to their coarseness.
Warned against worldliness!
Yes, I was tempted to listen to their worldliness. To be fair even King David was tempted into worldly ways more than once – that’s what my Father said. “Even the great King David was imperfect” was his reply whenever he was criticised by my mother! I guess that must be true, and as I get older I will hear the whole story and understand more. But for now I am so keen to be like him – brave and strong and doing God’s will. One day I will have my Goliath to fight! And to defeat. And before that to wrestle with lions and bears, protecting “my” sheep from death and destruction. And I want to make my father proud of me.
Thinking about fierce wild animals made me shiver, and I was glad there were other, stronger shepherds close by just in case. Even so, I patted my pouch to check I still had my sling and 5 smooth stones, just like the boy David. And I had spent many hours practising, until even my father said grudgingly agreed I was a good shot. Yesterday I had demonstrated my skills to the other shepherds and they had admitted my accuracy was “pretty good”!
How I wanted to be used by my God even as King David was! There was surely no better place to start than on the very hills where David too was a shepherd boy! I tried to imagine myself like him, alone but brave and in control, relying on his Father in heaven for strength and wisdom.
My imagination was interrupted by an unusual light in the sky. I noticed it before the others did. They were deep in their worldly chatter. For a moment I thought it was sunrise but quickly realised it was not. I let out an involuntary “Oh! of surprise and wonder.
The heavenly visitors arrive
In a moment or so even the other shepherds realised something unworldly was going on. I watched them, silhouetted against an ever brighter sky, their mouths open but for once dumbstruck, just as I was too. For what happened next was extraordinary. The dull glow became brighter and brighter and suddenly there was an angel standing before us. There was no doubt that he was one of God’s angels – you could see without a doubt that it was God’s glory that was shining out all around us. We were all scared, even the grown men.
And then the angel spoke: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Those were his exact words, words etched in my mind forever. And then there wasn’t just one angel – he was joined by many more, the whole sky was full of them. They were all singing God’s praises:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”
And then, just as quickly as they came, the angels left. Slowly they disappeared away into the distance, leaving the sky empty. For a moment there was silence. I walked across to the other three. They were rubbing their eyes as if in unbelief. But as we discussed what had happened it was obvious that we had all experienced the same thing. This was not just one shepherd’s dream, but a reality. Already the oh so recent experience had changed us; it had brought us closer – Each of them hugged the other and then me too. Then we made a small circle, our arms interlocked and we discussed what we should do next.
What next?
It was a short discussion, which finished by us all agreeing that we should go to Bethlehem – to see this thing that the Angel had told us about; to find a manger in a stable and in it a baby. But then one of the shepherds said: ”But what about the sheep? What about our jobs? What about the lad’s father? We will lose our livelihood if even a single sheep is lost!” They looked at me and I could tell they were wondering if a 12 year old with two days experience could be left in charge.
“Surely if God’s angel said it was alright to go and find the baby, God will also look after the sheep for us!” That was my response – as I said it I even felt a little of the shepherd boy David’s trust in his heavenly Father. But I could see doubtful faces, even in the half-light of the early morning. And as I said it I wondered what my father might say. I winced at the thought.
“The boy is right you know!” It was the oldest shepherd of the three who spoke first. He continued: “We should all go because we were all called. I am convinced this news really is from God Himself; the boy is right and God Himself will arrange for these daft animals to be kept safe!” And then he said something that will live with me forever. He added: ”If God calls me then I dare not say no! So let’s not waste any more time, let’s go and find this baby! The other two looked at each other and then slowly nodded in agreement. It seemed three wayward shepherds had discovered a trust in God at last! And so we set off at speed to the town, to find the stable and in it the little baby of promise lying in a manger.
Back to Bethlehem
We hurried towards the town, its lights getting ever closer. We all became short of breath, and I could feel my legs aching too. In no time at all we were back to in the town. The twinkling lights I had seen from the field of sheep had included one outside our own house at the town’s edge.
The house was the only one in Bethlehem large enough to have a guest room and a stable large enough for visitor’s donkeys. So we all agreed it was the first place to start looking for this promised baby, the one to be the Saviour of the world, the Messiah himself!
The Stable
Although the door of the house and all its windows were firmly closed, we hurried round the back of the house to the stable. There it was, lit, but quite dimly, with lamps. That was unusual. Even more unusual, we found people as well as animals inside. We quietly entered to see if the baby was there. He was! Looking on were his mother and father and, surrounded in hay in a manger, the focus of their attention, was the baby, closely wrapped in swaddling clothes.
It was a peaceful scene. There was something special about this. I thought back to the sudden appearance of the angel and all his friends, filling the sky with praise. What they had told us was true and I had no doubt, nor, I could see, did those three worldly shepherds have any doubts – that this was a special baby. There he was, exactly as the angel had described.
His mother looked up. She was young and had such a serene look on her face. The whole stable had a calm feel such as I had never experienced before. She beckoned me closer.
“What is your name?” she asked gently. I told her. “Well, Jesse, come and say hello to the baby Jesus. What brought you here so early in the day?“ I looked back at my three shepherd companions. They nodded that I should tell her the story. I quickly told her all that had happened.
Mary, the mother of Jesus
“I wonder that it might be the same angel who visited me?”, she said. Another angel! Maybe even the same one! I hoped it was. She told me her name was Mary and that her husband’s name was Joseph. And then she told me how she too had been told by her own angel that God was to be the father of her baby, Jesus, not her husband Jacob. She told me that Jesus was conceived by God’s Holy Spirit and that he was to be the Saviour of the whole world. Her angel story was the same as my angel story. I looked at the baby again. God was his father! And He had sent this baby to save the whole world- not even just Israel!
I wanted to stay close by the baby Jesus for ever, but there was a further commotion as my mother appeared from the house with a bowl of warm water. She said it was to wash the new born baby. I never got to wash in warm water but then this was a very special child.
My father arrives
And then a moment later my father also arrived. He looked at the scene and then he saw me. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. I think I was more afraid of him than any angel! But before I could explain, he looked across the stable to see his three shepherds looking as sheepish as the animals lying uncared for in the stubbly field. “You too! What is going on here! What about my animals – who is looking after them may I ask!”
I thought to myself “There’s going to be trouble here!” But I was wrong. My father can get very angry but in the end, after a while, he eventually calms down. But this time his anger subsided as quickly as his cross words had been spoken. For he had turned to look at the baby and I watched as he sank to his knees in worship and submission. Sheep were forgotten as he was confronted by the baby before him. I’ve never seen him so soft and adoring, not even with his most prized animals.
Jesus brings restoration
And then I found myself kneeling beside him before the baby. Again I heard the words of my angel, this time in my mind. Then I repeated them quietly out loud: “Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. And then I carried on with the words of the angel choir: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” Then I realised my father had grasped my hand. Together we worshipped the long promised Messiah. I was never the same again. Now I had two heroes! First King David, but now this baby Jesus – another King, but this one so much greater, to be the Saviour of the world. And that And that night drew me and my father together; drawn together for ever, as we worshipped the one born to be King over all. Jesus restored me to my father.
All references are from the NKJV unless specified otherwise.
John Partis
bearing-kingdom-fruit.com
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author’s name and website address are included at the end of the article. Thank you.
Leave a Reply