God’s children are called to love everyone

A number of years ago I had trouble with service from a large national phone company. Now, I’m not sure that I personally felt I was an unimportant customer. But, my impression was that this company did not consider my business important. After all, I was just one individual account. I surely wasn’t their biggest customer either. I got the run around. When you phone someone for help and they put you on hold for more than an hour, that behavior sends a message.

There are times all of us have felt ignored or unimportant to others. We may not be wealthy. We may not be a person of power or influence. So, when we get slighted, or forgotten, it is not a surprise.

At this point, however, I need to confess that even God’s church can act in ways that make people feel unimportant. The Lord sent his son for all. God’s children are called to love everyone. But sometimes it may seem that the church leaders or outgoing people get the attention. The quiet folks may seem ignored. The church is to be God’s loving family. When God’s church gives the impression that someone is unimportant we have failed at that point.

That is what makes the announcement of Jesus’ birth by the angels to the shepherds such a wonderful part of the Christmas story. There few people were more common in Jesus’ day than shepherds. These men were not leaders of the temple. They weren’t political leaders or military leaders. Yet, other than Jesus’ mother and father, the only ones to get an angelic birth announcement were some night shift laborers doing a common job.

The shepherds may have seemed common and unimportant to others but, God obviously cared about them. In fact, when Mary told her cousin Elizabeth that she was expecting, Mary praised God with a song we now call “The Magnificat.” In that hymn of praise Mary says of the Lord, “52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” This truth is expressed throughout God’s Word. God cares for everyone and takes special care of the poor and lowly.

Do you ever feel like you are not important to God? Please, remember the shepherds. These common men heard singing like none of us have ever heard. What a wonderful gift from God to those considered common!

But, please also remember how important God has made each of us. God reached out to people who could not help themselves with their sinful condition, and he sent his son, his only son, the very son of God, to humble himself so we could be lifted up in God’s love.

Phone companies and others in our world many not think we are important. God does. God cared about the humble and the lowly and the common people of Jesus’ day. God cares about all people today, no matter how seemingly unimportant. What a wonderful Christmas gift!

Jonathan Rockey is pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer. Contact him at jonrock53@mtaonline.net.

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