Epiphany Day 7 Do You See What I See
This song takes the news of something wonderful happening and passes it up through the ranks. It is the opposite of what is expected when passing on news.
Although this song is not biblical it is beautiful. It speaks of how the lowly were informed first of Jesus’ arrival. But it wasn’t a ‘little lamb’ that told the shepherds. It was an angle and a chorus of angels that followed. God sent news first to the lowest in Jewish society first.
I also love how the message grows without being distorted in its passing. If you have ever played the game ‘Telephone’ you can understand how messages that are relayed are changed with each telling. God protected His message. It didn’t get distorted with the telling. In our song, more of the message is revealed to us from each participant. It isn’t a different message but the parts that are important to the speaker are what is highlighted. And it took ALL the participants to get the full message out.
The first one to notice something different was the sky itself. It spoke to the lamb. Creation itself spoke to the created.
The sheep noticed something different about his sphere of the world. The night sky was made bright and it spoke to him. His sleep was disturbed so he looks to the one who cares for him; the shepherd. He tells him of the angels voices that he hears.
The shepherd boy listens to the message and goes to see the baby. Afterwards he goes to the king. He knows he has no power to alter this Baby’s situation. But the king should be able to. And he focuses on the aspect of the Child’s life that is like his own; He is cold. Bring Him silver and gold to help Him purchase the things he needs.
The king recognizes that this news is for EVERYONE. He commands the people to pray and petition God for peace. And he tells the full meaning of the Babe; He will bring us goodness and light.
If only Hared would have acted this way when he heard the news of Jesus’ birth. Instead of bring peace he brought destruction. He didn’t learn of this news from the shepherds either. He learned of it from the wise men. He was afraid because they told him that the Baby was a King. He expected the Baby to be an earthly king but he was wrong. He got the message twisted.
I wonder how different things would have been if Hared had listened with a glad heart. Imagine the children’s lives that would have been spared. Consider the parents of those murdered children. Ponder Jesus’ family’s lives on the run. And think about how His life would have looked if the people everywhere looked to Him as their salvation from the moment of His birth.
It’s a beautiful thought but NOT what God had lined out. Jesus did not come to sit on an earthly throne; yet. He didn’t want the whole world knowing of His intentions. He wanted people to choose to follow him instead of being commanded to. He didn’t want to live in luxury while those He came to save didn’t. He NEEDED to know the same kind of struggles we face; including hunger, thirst, cold, and rejection to name a few.
God STILL protects His words. Think about how many centuries God’s word has been in existence. His message remains the same as when He first shared it with Adam and Eve. THAT is a miracle in itself!
Father God, thank You for sending Jesus! Thank You for telling me why and when. Thank You for preserving Your message of hope for my life. Keep me ever mindful of sharing Your message the way YOU shared it. Nothing more and nothing less.
