Sheep in the Manger?

Have you ever wondered why there are sheep in the manger scene? Let me tell you the story.

In a land far, far away, a magical birth happened on a night like this, a thousand moons ago.

Just outside of a town called Bethlehem, perched on tiny rocky hill, there were two boys, keeping watch over their tiny flock of sheep. Malachi was twelve-years-old and Jacob was ten. This was their first night to tend the flock alone. Their father, Ezra had great trust in his two sons. He had given them the responsibility to protect the nine ewes and six lambs. These precious sheep were all that their family owned. Without the sheep, Ezra would not have any way to provide for his family. Malachi and Jacob were so proud that their father had put them in charge of the sheep this very night.

Malachi had learned from his father all that he needed to know about caring for the sheep. He had spent most of his days and many nights with his father tending the flock. Now, his father had decided that it was Malachi’s time to take a full share in the family business.

Being the older brother, Malachi decided to keep the first watch. Jacob snuggled up against Neddy, the oldest momma sheep. Neddy’s soft wool would keep Jacob warm through the cold night.

The sky was filled with thousands of crackly stars. Malachi even saw a falling star and he prayed that such an event would bring good blessings this most important night of his life.

Malachi was getting cold so he got up and walked around the small hill. He rubbed his shoulders and legs to create some warmth. He pulled is arms inside his tunic to feel the soft inner shirt his mother had made for him this spring because he was growing so tall. One of the lambs had followed Malachi. It made him smile. He picked up the small lamb, placed it on his shoulders and moved quietly back to the fold. The lamb’s mother had her head up, smelling for her young one. Malachi slid the lamb off his shoulders into the nestling of the ewe.

Malachi returned to his perch so that he see over the sheep and down onto the town of Bethlehem. He knew every family and every house and every stable of his hometown. His great grandfather had come to Bethlehem years ago with his new wife and three sheep. His great grandfather, grandfather, and father had sat on this same hill with their sheep. Now it was his turn.

The night was growing long and Malachi’s eyes grew heavy. He fought against sleep by counting the stars, but that made his eyes even more weary. He began to recite the prayers of King David, the first shepherd of the tribe. “Bless the Lord O my soul, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not his benefits,” Malachi whispered.

Then, with a sudden movement, the nose of every mother sheep shot into the air. It startled Malachi to see such a strange thing. A wolf, he thought. He jumped to his feet and peered across the crevices of the rocky hill looking for any movement. Neddy stood waking Jacob. The sleepy little boy rubbed his eyes.

“Jacob, I think there’s a wolf near about,” Malachi said. But Jacob saw what had disturbed the sheep. It was so large and so mysterious and so magical that he could not open his mouth, he could only point to the figure floating in the air behind his brother.

Malachi turned to see a translucent figure hovering just a few feet from where the boys stood. Frightened, Jacob clung to his brother. The sheep stood, moving closer to Malachi.

What Malachi saw, he would later tell his father, was something that was as bright as a star, as clear as the water in the brook, as warm as the red coals of the cooking fire, as powerful as a Roman soldier, and yet as gentle as a newborn lamb.

“Who, what are you?” Malachi’s voice cracked.

“Don’t be afraid, shepherds. I am the angel of the Lord.”

Jacob let go of his brother and tentatively moved towards the angel. Malachi put his hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “An angel?” Jacob questioned.

“Yes, the angel of the Lord. My name is Gabriel and I am the Lord’s messenger. I have come to tell you that a special child is born this night in Bethlehem. His name is Jesus, born to Mary. He will be the savior of your people. He will be called Immanuel.”

“Here, in Bethlehem?” Malachi questioned. “Why would the Messiah be born in such a poor little village?”

“The child has been born to bring peace into the world, Malachi. This is kind of peace you felt when carrying the lamb back to its mother. Jacob, this is the kind of peace you felt sleeping next to Neddy. The child will bring this kind of peace into the hearts of every person. The child is born here in Bethlehem in order to fulfill the promise of peace. He must know the peace that can only felt here, in this village,” the angel Gabriel said.

Malachi started with another question but the angel interrupted. “Malachi, you and Jacob must go and see the child. You must bring the peace in your hearts so that Mary and the child can sense that know why he is being born in Bethlehem.”

“Our father has put us in charge and we cannot leave the sheep,” Malachi said.

“Do not leave the sheep,” the angel said. “Take them with you so that they may see the child.”

“No one lets sheep into their house,” Jacob said in order to inform the angel how the people in Bethlehem lived.

“Oh, the baby is not born in a house,” the angel said. “The child Jesus is born in a lowly stable, behind the Inn. The sheep will be welcomed by the other animals there.”

“We can’t do this. Our father expects us to keep the sheep here until the morning when he returns.”

“That may be so,” the angel said chuckling. “But I think you had better follow your sheep in town or else you are the ones that will be left here alone.”

The two young shepherds turned to see Neddy, the wisest of the sheep, leading the rest of the flock down the hill. The sheep understood the angel. They knew they would see the Messiah, the savior of the world. They knew that the baby Jesus would be the Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd. And they so wanted to be near this child who would bring peace to the world.

Malachi and Jacob followed Neddy and the small flock to the Inn where they found Mary and the baby Jesus. The sheep would lie down at the foot of the manger and the lambs nuzzled the baby. When Malachi and Jacob saw the baby, they truly felt the peace of the Lord spoken of by the angel.

And that’s the story of how sheep were to be found in the manger of baby Jesus. That is a story of peace.