What has been your worst job? Several years ago there was a TV show called “Dirty Jobs”. For eight seasons the host, Mike Rowe, performed difficult, strange, dangerous, disgusting or messy occupations alongside the typical employees. These included sewer inspector, shark suit tester, worm dung farmer, and garbage pit technician. Nearly every job was even more difficult than he had expected, and this often had him expressing admiration and respect for the workers’ skills and their willingness to take on jobs that most people avoid. A British show took it to another level and identified the “Worst jobs in History” as chimney sweep, executioner, leech collector, plague burier, and rat catcher.
While it didn’t make any of these lists, a definite candidate for “Dirty Jobs” would be “shepherd”, especially in Biblical times. Sheep are relatively unintelligent, dependent, and defenseless animals that need constant tending. It was hard and dangerous work. Shepherds were exposed to the extremes of heat and cold, and food frequently consisted of whatever could be found in nature. Shepherds had to watch out for wild animals, occasionally lions and bears, and they had to beware of sheep rustlers and gangs of robbers.
A collection of rabbinic teachings about the Mosaic Law called the Mishnah, advised against several professions, including that of shepherd. “A man should not teach his son to be an ass-driver or a camel driver, or a barber or a sailor, or a herdsman or a shopkeeper, for their craft is the craft of robbers.”
And yet somehow when God announced to the world the birth of Jesus, He chose to tell shepherds. These low status outcasts from society were among the first to hear the news, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) In fact, Jesus would be born in a manger, not a palace, where the shepherds could come and worship him and then go and tell everyone what they had seen and heard.
This Sunday we’ll look at why shepherds were and are so important to God. So important that Jesus would describe Himself as one: “I am the good shepherd…” (John 10:11) What is it about this “dirty job” that is so noteworthy? Why is it important for us to know and understand what a shepherd does?
You can join us online or in-person outdoors. Yes, it might be a bit chilly, but there won’t be any lions, bears , or robbers to worry about! Register HERE to sign up!
In Christ,
Kurt