‘While shepherds watch their flocks by night.’ by Nathum Tate. This is the first line of another one of our much loved carols. The Son of God came to this world and was welcomed by shepherds. This gives me hope. I don’t mix with royalty, I am not known by important people. I don’t move in distinguished circles. I’m just a run of-the-mill person and so were the shepherds. These blessed shepherds, called by angels were the first to see Jesus. Although they were stunned by the whole thing, they can’t have guessed at the great significance of what was happening.
‘Fear not,’ the angel said – for mighty dread had seized their troubled minds’, no wonder the shepherds had troubled minds, seeing angels talking to them in the middle of their night shift. But the message was the same as was told so many times in the nativity story ‘Fear not.’ The whole story has many people frightened out of their lives as they are comforted by angels. The list includes Mary, Joseph and now the shepherds. Their message was clear go and find the baby who you will find in a manger bed. There can’t have been be many mangers with babies in them in Bethlehem on the night!