Living in the Image of God M06S05

An angel’s interactions with night-shift shepherds regarding the birth of Jesus conveys a message of the individual responsibility regarding the communal purpose of individual blessing. The shepherds were each given information that is of great communal value but were not told what to do with the information. The angel promised to deliver to them “good news that will cause great joy for all the people,” delivered the news as promised, but did not tell them what they should do with the news. Based on the interactions, we learn that God may choose any person to receive individual blessing of any communal value; provides the recipient sufficient understanding of the communal value; and assigns to the recipient the authority to determine how to interact with others regarding the blessing he or she received: that is, regarding “what the Lord has given us” that is under the recipient’s control.

God chose a group of night-shift shepherds to receive a blessing that is of great individual and communal value to all people, revealed to them the blessing and its great value, but did not tell them what to do with the blessing or how to propagate its value. The shepherds were visited by an angel while they were tending their flocks at night at about the birth time of Jesus. The glory of God that presented with the angel confirmed to them that he was a messenger of God. They were terrified. The angel calmed their fear and explained he brought them good news for all people: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

The angel was there to provide the shepherds with information that will be of great value to them, others, and the community (good news that will cause great joy for all the people). The angel proceeded to deliver the information and left thereafter. He did not tell the shepherds what to do with the information. After the encounter, the shepherds, on their own decision, went to Bethlehem to verify the information and shared what they were told with as many people as they could reach.

This bible account conveys a great message regarding the communal value of individual blessing. First, God can choose any person to receive individual blessing of any communal value. He chose the night-shift shepherds as custodians of “good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” This kind of information would have been expected only from “high-caliber and high-influence people of God” but was instead provided to ordinary night-shift shepherds. Second, God will choose a way to reveal to you the value of any blessing that he has given you: value to you as a person, to other individuals around you, and to your community. Third, he will grant you full authority and freedom to decide how you interact with others regarding your individual blessing—“what the Lord has given us” that is under your control. You have full ownership, authority, and God mandate to determine when, where, and how to apply your individual blessing towards the needs of self, others, and community.