Shepherds

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 

 - From Luke 2

I wonder if Luke, when writing his gospel, went to find any of these shepherds, who by then were very old (if indeed any of them were still alive) to ask their firsthand account of all this? Did the Apostles . . . did Paul . . . ever have a chance to sit down and speak to any of the Shepherds?

They have the lead role in this part of the narrative. Mary and Joseph are are supporting characters here. It's all about the shepherds. 

I've heard it said that shepherds had basically a modest position in society. Yes, they were essential, and they had to be highly skilled. But when it came to being reliable witnesses, I do not know that they were valued for their credentials and credibility. Maybe they were like cowboys of the American West: coming from a variety of personalities and ethical grounding; but not normally found in the respected drawing rooms. 

So it is with God - - - giving the important work to servants, fishermen, tax collectors, shepherds . . . while leaving the intellectuals in their rightful place in eternity: some dark corner. 

The shepherds had names. They had families. They each had a mom, and a dad. They had hobbies. Some could make you laugh. Others hardly ever said anything. Some had tempers, and others were mild-mannered. They were no better nor worse than any one of us living, even today. 

But in this moment they had the entire world, and all of history, at the edge of their seats, following the exciting developments. 

I think that, of all the people you seek out in the first moments of eternity, that you find a shepherd-witness of the birth of Christ, and make them the first with whom you will make your new friendship and spend lots of timeless meetups with!