Tonight is the night of “breaking news”. “For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord”, announces the angel to the watchful shepherds.
This is the “breaking news” the whole world
is waiting to hear .But it is not announced in the
palace of a reigning king , nor
from the pulpit of a magnificent temple.God
chooses the poor, simple,
shivering shepherds to first hear
the breaking news of his comming.
Again
, there is no place for Him to be born
in the inn.The long-awaited Saviour who will”reign over the house of Jacob
forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” is born in a
cattle-shed, surrounded by sheep and goats
and cows.
Part
of the breaking news is that the newborn king of the
universe is laid in a manger full of hay and not in a golden cradle
lined with smooth silk and velvet.He is
born to a humble handmaiden,and His foster-father is a simple
carpenter.Thus God’s solidarity with our
simple, sinful,suffering, oppressed,harassed and dejected humanity is complete.
Isaiah
had foretold:“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;those
who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone”(Is 9:2).
And St Paul confirms it: “The grace of God has appeared,bringing salvation for all people” (Tit 2:11).