“A Simple Shepherd”
John’s gospel reports not everything Jesus did was recorded. (John 21:25) I like to imagine events that could have happened. This is one of those imaginative events.
Joel was a shepherd. He had been a shepherd all his life. A shepherd’s life is not easy. Joel’s life had been especially hard. He was a bit simple, there were many things he could not understand. He never married; and since his parent’s death, he had lived alone and lonely.
As Joel aged, shepherding grew difficult. He never owned sheep. Instead, he worked as a hireling. The day came when owners feared his age and health would put their sheep at risk.
As a believer, he often prayed for the Messiah to come quickly. On his final night in the field sleeping on the hard ground and being very anxious about his future, He awoke to a bright light filling the sky. It frightened him, but then he heard singing. Beautiful music---angels were everywhere. They were saying something, “A Savior is born. He is in a barn in Bethlehem. Hurry and you can see him.”
Thus, Joel experienced the greatest event in his long, hard life. He observed the baby looked hale and healthy like a newborn lamb. What impressed him most that night was the angels---their brilliance, their marvelous music. He could not get that out of his mind.
He was hired as a household servant; however, he was slow and clumsy. After being dismissed from several families, he was sold as a slave to pay his debts. Joel feared the worst. His owner was a Roman soldier, a centurion. The master had purchased him not so much for his labor but because he reminded him of his late father.
Surprisingly, the two men developed a camaraderie. Once Joel was ill; everyone assumed the old man would die. His centurion master rode miles to fetch Jesus, hoping He would come and heal Joel. Learning of his master’s mission, Joel hoped he would live long enough to see Jesus. Instead, he miraculously got well before the master returned. In response to the centurion’s faith, Jesus healed Joel from afar.
Later, Joel stood in the back of the crowd when Jesus was crucified. He believed God would send angels to rescue Jesus. When they did not come, Joel was crushed, another disappointment. That night he asked God why the angels did not come; “He was your Son?” Then he heard it again---the beautiful music. The brilliance of that holy night filled his room, but nowhere else in the house. Then an angel whispered, “Take my hand, Joel, and I’ll take you home.” The angels had come just for him.
