This story is a part of the Spec the Halls contest for speculative winter holiday-themed fiction, artwork, and poetry. You may find descriptions of and links to other entries at http://www.aswiebe.com/specthehalls.html
The Good Shepherds
by David Brollier
The chill wind of winter blew across the Judean hillside in gusts that crinkled the skin of the shepherds just outside of Bethlehem. This was not uncommon to these men whose skin was as tough as rawhide, just as dry and lined. They huddled together around small fires, taking turns keeping vigil over their sheep. Eli had spotted a she-bear not long ago, but she was merely foraging. It was the mountain lions and wolves that concerned them. These sheep were their lives. They would die rather than let a thief or a predator kill them. Makeshift pens were built into the hillside made of stones set one upon another. The walls were strong and circular, with only one entrance. This is where the shepherd would sleep. Nothing would get past them to their sheep, at least not without killing them first.
Shepherds have lived this way for centuries, since the time of Jacob and his sons. They knew about the land and how to care for the sheep. Most of all they loved their work. The only disquiet they felt drifted up from the rumors of the villagers. They had watched as droves of people had marched from all over Israel, or so it seemed, to come to this obscure little town. Word was that some Roman official thought it would be a good idea to have everyone register so they could be taxed. Rumor or not it sure sounded like the Romans to Nathan, one of Eli's friends.
"I tell you something must be done," Nathan said in disgust.
"What? Are you going to lead an army down against these uncircumcised people?" Eli asked.
"No," Benjamin added, "we must wait for the Messiah. Surely he will see that we have need of him now. Surely the God of our fathers will send him to deliver us from bondage, just as He did with the Pharaoh of Egypt."
"Don't be foolish," Nathan said. "Look at the way we must seem in God's sight. Look at the way the Pharisees and Sadducees rule the Temple like a proud rooster does a hen house. By their actions you'd think it was their Temple and not the House of the Lord. God isn't going to reward such a people with a Messiah."
"When do you think he will come?" Eli asked.
"I don't know, but I know that if we don't start worshiping God from our hearts and not our heads it won't happen any time soon."
Nathan's words settled into their minds like a dark cloud. They knew the history. They knew that every time the children of Israel walked in disobedience God sent them into bondage or scattered them or sent some kind of plague against them. They knew the words of Nathan were right. That's when it happened, the one thing they never expected.
The sky exploded in light. It wasn't like the dawning of a new day. No! One moment they were looking at a dark clear sky bejeweled with uncountable stars. The next they were bathed in a light so bright it was as if the sun had popped up out of no where and settled down upon them on their little hill.
"God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," Nathan cried out, "Save us."
The others also began to cry out, wailing above the braying of the sheep.
"Fear not," a voice said, a voice as loud as a thunder clap, as rich as pure gold, yet as gentle as any of the newborn lambs they had in their fold. The shepherds looked up and saw a man, clothed in brilliant, gleaming white from head to toe. The light came from him and in that light all the stars had vanished, the night itself fled from his presence. "Fear not," the man said again, hovering in the air just above their flocks. Although he told them not to fear it was all they could do to maintain their place, but they stood firm because of their sheep. Even this they would endure before letting their precious sheep die, at least die first.
There was a pause that seemed to ripple through the heavens touching earth and these brave men. In that pause came a peace unlooked for. Amazed they stood, now in peace, and listened to the stranger as he began speaking once more. "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. To you is born this very day in the city of David a Savior, which is Messiah the Lord. And this shall be a sign for you; you will find the infant wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."
After he had said this we saw a multitude of these heavenly beings so vast that their number could not be counted. Like the first they too were dressed in white and their radiance was like that of the sun. Then the skies erupted in the most beautiful song the world has ever heard. No one could possibly describe its beauty as one might try to describe a melody of man. For this melody came not from the earth, but from the very courts of the Temple of the Most High. These the knew to be His messengers, His servants, and their tongue was far sweeter and stronger and gentler and reaching than any melody ever conceived on earth. Yet it was not the melody that drew them in, but the wondrous message that they sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Having sang their song and praised their God they departed, leaving the shepherds alone on their hillside once again underneath the sparkling stars.
For a moment no one said anything, as if saying something would break a spell that had been cast over them. Finally Nathan spoke, his voice trembling, for he reflected upon what he had said previously. He had said God would never send the Messiah to them at a time such as this, but God had done just that. Humbled, ashamed, he turned to the others, "We must go."
"What?" Eli said not understanding him.
"We must go to Bethlehem. We must go and see all that has been made know to us," Nathan finished.
They all began saying the same thing. All thoughts of rumors about Rome and the taxation and even their precious sheep had fled their minds. They had but one desire, to see their king. So it was that for the first and last time in all of history these brave shepherds left their flocks unattended and went into the small town of Bethlehem in search of a newborn wrapped in strips of cloth. The angel said he would be lying in a manger, that meant it would be in some stable in the city.
Their search didn't take long, for near one inn was a flurry of activity, people gawking, coming and going...to a stable. They noticed that many people couldn't even get close to the stable because of all the people pushing and shoving to see what all the ruckus was about. The odd thing was that they parted to let the shepherds by as if they knew they were coming. Nathan and the others seriously doubted that. More likely it was because people were used to seeing shepherds around stables. They probably thought these shepherds had business there. Little did they know that they were issued a divine invitation to visit their newborn king.
There were seven of them, Nathan leading the way with Eli at his side. Benjamin followed close behind as Samuel, Jonah, Thadeus and Simon crowded in behind him. The stable was clean for a stable, but dirty for people to be living, especially a newly born child. A man stood watch over a young woman who was cooing at the infant in a manger they had fixed up as a bed. The little child was not clothed, but covered in strips of cloth, as if prepared for burial. If not for the gurgling sounds of laughter and the pink skin they would have thought they had come upon some family laying their child to rest in a grave. Yet this child was not dead. He made noises no one could understand, yet seemed to communicate a love and a joy all the same. All seven shepherds dropped to their knees and bowed their heads low, touching the ground.
"What is this?" the man standing guard over the woman and child commanded.
"We have come to see our King," Nathan began.
"King? What king?" Joseph asked.
"The child. Surely you know about the child," Nathan was in wonder about the man's response until the thick-muscled man gave a hearty laugh.
"Yes, we have known about him for some time, although he was just born several hours ago. Come, come see your king," he urged.
The scene had changed somewhat, for now those who had been trying to get in realized that these shepherds were not there on regular business, but had seen something, or so they claimed. In fact, if truth be told, they believed it. A hush fell over the crowd and the dirty stable took on the reverence of any of the greatest of king's courts one might imagine, well certainly greater than that impostor King Herod. Not only was there a feeling of being in the presence of royalty, but that of being in the presence of something very pure and holy.
Nathan suddenly realized he had no gift for this King of kings. In any other king's court he would have been killed where he stood. He thought hard. What could he give? There must be something. Then he saw the staff in his hand. It wasn't much, but it was something, it was from him and to him it meant a great deal.
"Sir, I have no gift for my king but this," Nathan said pressing his staff into the father's hands. "Give this to my king. As he grows older perhaps you might tell him what it means to me, to us. For the staff is more than a tool, but an instrument of love and discipline. With it we both guard and guide our sheep."
"I will tell him," Joseph answered. "Know this, my friend. The baby you see is God's gift to us. All the Almighty requires is for us to give of ourselves to Him and receive this gift."
Leaving the stable the people asked them what they had seen and they spread out throughout the city telling them about the angels, about the wonderful things they had seen and heard, and about this new King of Israel. Finally they returned to their hillside. All the sheep had wandered into their appropriate sheep pen and fallen fast asleep. After each shepherd diligently accounted for them all they found that none were lost or injured or sick. For as they had gone into town God had taken watch over their sheep for them.
Many years went by and these same shepherds still kept vigil on their hillside. Word came to them about a new rabbi who dared to challenge the teachings of the Pharisees. When they heard that this new rabbi would be coming near they moved their flocks to a portion of the hillside that they might be able to see, and perhaps even hear, this new teaching. There was a crowd and it was difficult to tell who was who. There seemed to be a smaller crowd of maybe fifteen, within this pressing multitude. Yet still they could spot no rabbi or discern who might be the teacher. Then Nathan noticed something, something he never thought he'd ever see again.
"Eli, look!" he said.
"What am I supposed to be looking for?" his friend asked.
"The staff, the shepherd's staff."
"Yes, so there is one of the crowd that walks with a shepherd's staff."
"Not just any shepherd's staff," Nathan corrected. "That is my shepherd's staff. The one I gave to the father of the king. He must be this new rabbi."
Eli couldn't argue the point. You do get to know your own staff after a bit, but whether or not you could recognize it some 30 years later? Well, that was something he rather doubted. Still Nathan was a good man and a good friend. There was no need to dispute the point.
They watched as the Pharisees came up and barged into the crowd. The pushed people aside to make way for them to show how important they were. If anything of a spiritual nature were going to be discussed then it had better be approved by them first. Nathan watched in disgust as these supposed men of God walked up like they were kings themselves. There was a demanding tone in their voice. Yet when the new rabbi began to speak he looked at Nathan and locked his gaze on him. "What would you say if a man had a hundred sheep, and one of them strayed off? Doesn't he leave ninety and nine, and go into the mountains to search for that one which has strayed? And if he finds it, I tell you that he takes more joy in that sheep than the ninety and nine that did not stray off."
At these words Nathan knew that Joseph had shared with his son what his staff meant to him. He knew. This rabbi knew about sheep, about how the shepherd felt about the sheep. For a shepherd would not have sheep who would not listen. Yet those who strayed, yes, they would watch over them. For they would know their need of a shepherd. As these thoughts tumbled through his mind God spoke to him, "And who watched your sheep that night when you went to see My lamb?" Suddenly Nathan realized that the truly Good Shepherd was God Himself. Without saying a word to the others he bowed down and worshiped this man they called Jesus.
Some in the back of the crowd thought it odd to see seven shepherds bowing low to the ground as if they were in the presence of royalty. Yet these seven knew that Jesus, this new rabbi, was more than just a new teacher. They knew that he was greater than any king they could ever have met if they had met every king who ever lived, for this Jesus was the King of kings and Lord of lords. He was the long awaited Messiah. Why God had chosen them to witness these things to see the child just after his birth on that first night Nathan and the others would never be able to understand. Nor could they bring themselves to admit that the words of John the Baptist might possibly be true. Was it possible that not only was Jesus the Good Shepherd, but also God's Lamb to be offered up as a sacrifice? A tear rolled down Nathan's cheek and he remembered his rashness that first night. He was wrong. God loved them even in their sin. For that reason He sent a lamb to die for them, a lamb that would shepherd the people of God. That was a love he could not fully understand, yet he accepted it.
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