God's Messengers
If you had an important message to share, who would you share it with to ensure that the message gets out and that it gets out closest to its original intent?
The political leaders?
The religious leaders?
The rich?
The powerful?
Those who have the greatest influence?
Those who have access to the best modes of communication?
Just my impressions, but it seems to me that:
If you sent it to the political leaders, they might adjust it for political gain.
If you sent it to the religious leaders, they might filter it to reflect their views.
If you sent it to the rich, they might sell some version of it for financial gain.
If you sent it to the powerful, they might leverage it to further consolidate their power.
If you sent it to those with the greatest influence, they might distort it advance their agenda.
If you sent it to those who have access to modes of communication, they might shape it to fit their optics.
The political leaders?
The religious leaders?
The rich?
The powerful?
Those who have the greatest influence?
Those who have access to the best modes of communication?
Just my impressions, but it seems to me that:
If you sent it to the political leaders, they might adjust it for political gain.
If you sent it to the religious leaders, they might filter it to reflect their views.
If you sent it to the rich, they might sell some version of it for financial gain.
If you sent it to the powerful, they might leverage it to further consolidate their power.
If you sent it to those with the greatest influence, they might distort it advance their agenda.
If you sent it to those who have access to modes of communication, they might shape it to fit their optics.
A Christmas Message
The important message to share was this one: And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10)
The “them” was a bunch of shepherds. At that time, shepherds were on the low end of the social-economic ladder. They spent most of their time with animals and probably didn’t have much of a voice in society. Yet, these are the very ones to whom the message of the arrival of a Savior was first shared.
And look at the shepherds handled the message: “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,” (Luke 2:17).
While that verse does not specify whether they maintained the purity of the message and didn’t use it somehow for their benefit, verse 20 sheds more light on their view of it: “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20)
It appears that they retained what they had been told to them. And it certainly was the foundation upon which they glorified and praised God.
From a purely human perspective, the other people described above might have been an obvious first choice but the message might not have gone forth in its intended form.
But the shepherds received it, believed it, and acknowledged it as it had been told to them. Even more so, they spread the word.
Proof positive that God’s messaging is always best.
The “them” was a bunch of shepherds. At that time, shepherds were on the low end of the social-economic ladder. They spent most of their time with animals and probably didn’t have much of a voice in society. Yet, these are the very ones to whom the message of the arrival of a Savior was first shared.
And look at the shepherds handled the message: “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,” (Luke 2:17).
While that verse does not specify whether they maintained the purity of the message and didn’t use it somehow for their benefit, verse 20 sheds more light on their view of it: “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20)
It appears that they retained what they had been told to them. And it certainly was the foundation upon which they glorified and praised God.
From a purely human perspective, the other people described above might have been an obvious first choice but the message might not have gone forth in its intended form.
But the shepherds received it, believed it, and acknowledged it as it had been told to them. Even more so, they spread the word.
Proof positive that God’s messaging is always best.
Steve Seeman
Steve Seeman is the Financial Aid Director at Emmaus Bible College. You can find more of Steve's writings at his personal blog: https://rollingeyedturtle.blogspot.com/