I began the journey with the text by reading the entire lectionary for Advent. I rested on each briefly on a daily basis over the course of a week gradually narrowing the selections to Luke 2:1-10. The verse that called to me from the text was “Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” It speaks to Mary’s role as the mother of the most important and influential child. She wants to treasure and remember the special moments as her child grows, but for me as a Christian, parent and pastor, I wanted to treasure and ponder this sacred story seeking to understand the best way to share with the body of Christ today. In preparing a sermon I read the text daily. There is no step in the preparation that does not include reading
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Fitzmyer indicated that the timing of Augustus’ reign did not coincide with the census, but that it served to provide a plot line that would lead Mary to deliver Jesus in Bethlehem in a time of relative peace. He also indicated that the shepherds’ involvement was to relate back to David’s status as a shepherd, which came to my mind as I rested on the text myself. I also connected Jesus who is the Good Shepherd to this tradition of shepherds as I reflected on the text. In addition, the author relates the contribution of the announcement via angels and the heavenly host that motivated the shepherds to rush to Bethlehem for confirmation. When they returned after seeing Jesus, Mary and Joseph they returned from whence they came to share the announcement with others, who were amazed at what was seen and heard in the birth of the long awaited Messiah. This is the gift of grace we find in the Bible that came into the world when Jesus was born. Feasting on the Word is a resource I often use, as it provides a theological, pastoral, exegetical and homiletical perspective on each text. In the theological perspective Robert Redman presented three types of location themes: historical, spiritual and social location. I found the historical location compelling, as we recount this narrative each year, while the social location pointed toward the revelation of Jesus as Messiah in a lowly setting instead of the sphere of the wealthy and
Fitzmyer indicated that the timing of Augustus’ reign did not coincide with the census, but that it served to provide a plot line that would lead Mary to deliver Jesus in Bethlehem in a time of relative peace. He also indicated that the shepherds’ involvement was to relate back to David’s status as a shepherd, which came to my mind as I rested on the text myself. I also connected Jesus who is the Good Shepherd to this tradition of shepherds as I reflected on the text. In addition, the author relates the contribution of the announcement via angels and the heavenly host that motivated the shepherds to rush to Bethlehem for confirmation. When they returned after seeing Jesus, Mary and Joseph they returned from whence they came to share the announcement with others, who were amazed at what was seen and heard in the birth of the long awaited Messiah. This is the gift of grace we find in the Bible that came into the world when Jesus was born. Feasting on the Word is a resource I often use, as it provides a theological, pastoral, exegetical and homiletical perspective on each text. In the theological perspective Robert Redman presented three types of location themes: historical, spiritual and social location. I found the historical location compelling, as we recount this narrative each year, while the social location pointed toward the revelation of Jesus as Messiah in a lowly setting instead of the sphere of the wealthy and