When Seeing Jesus is Enough
This morning, my daily Bible reading took me to Luke Chapter 2 and the story of Jesus’ birth. As I read about the shepherds being visited by angels and then going to see the baby Jesus, I found myself wondering, “What happened to the shepherds after this?”
We know they went away praising God and joyfully sharing what they had seen. But did their lives suddenly become easier? What do you think? Did they leave shepherding for speaking tours, book deals, and synagogue invitations? Or did they remain shepherds—only now, after seeing the Christ, wolves no longer attacked, the grass stayed green, and tending the sheep no longer felt like hard work?
Probably not. Most likely, their lives did not change after they saw the Christ Child. People still looked down on them and considered them second-class citizens. Green grass was still hard to find, and wild animals still attacked their flocks. I don’t think seeing Jesus made their lives any easier at all.
All too often in today’s world, a false promise is presented. People are led to believe that when they follow Christ, their lives will suddenly become very easy. They think that once they encounter Jesus, their addictions will disappear, their bills will be paid, and their sicknesses will be healed. But this is not what Scripture promises. The true promise of salvation is not that life on earth will become easy, but that life in Christ is eternal.
Now, did the shepherd’s lives change after they saw Jesus?
Yes! Now they had hope. They knew that God considered them first-class citizens of Heaven, and when the wolves attacked, they could fight with the power from on high. They had seen Jesus, and that was enough.
Now I challenge you. Come to Jesus. The addictions may still be there, but He will walk you through them. The bills will still roll in, but Jesus will never roll out. Sickness may linger, but Jesus will linger longer. Come to Jesus. Life on earth may not get better, but life in Heaven is eternal and far better than anything this world has to offer. Come to Jesus. When you see Him, you will realize that He is enough.
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
