Peace to Men on Whom his Favor Rests

We did lectio last night on Luke 2:1-20, and it was interesting to see how much God was speaking to us about the shepards' prominence in the Christmas story. There is much to be said about this, but I'm literally writing this on the fly in the middle of madness at work on the last day before Christmas vacation.

What God showed me through our discussion and mediation time was how the proclamation by the "heavenly host" to the shepherds - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests!" - has a direct link to the Sermon on the Mount, particularly the Beatitudes. This is a precursor to the message Jesus would bring, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God...." Why did God reveal his glory to a few outcast shepherds during that night of raucous celebration in heaven? Because that is the nature of the kingdom this infant was bringing to earth. This birth would not be celebrated in the royal palace or the temple of the religious establishment, but in a podunk town amongst stinky animals and nobody shepherds.

Welcome to the kingdom! Merry Christmas!