The story of the shepherds in Luke 2:15–21 is one we hear often, especially during the Christmas season. It is familiar, comforting, and beautiful. Yet when we slow down and sit with the text, it raises questions that are both practical and deeply spiritual. Questions about responsibility, trust, and response to God’s call.
A shepherd never leaves the sheep behind | Caring for the flock is not optional; it is their livelihood, their duty, and their identity. And yet, Luke does not tell us what happened to the sheep when the shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem. Did they leave them behind? If they did, were they neglecting their responsibilities? Or did they bring them along, carrying the weight of their work on their backs as they walked toward the manger?
The story is filled with animals: sheep in the fields and a newborn child placed among animals in a manger. Work, vulnerability, and holiness coexist in the same space. Either way, whether the shepherds left the sheep temporarily or brought them with them, the text is clear about one thing: they responded to God.
Some people respond to God’s call by leaving things behind. They let go of what they cannot carry into the next chapter of their lives: old fears, habits, attachments, or expectations. Letting go, for them, is an act of obedience.
Others respond by carrying their responsibilities with them. They do not abandon their work, their families, or their commitments. Yet even then, there are limits. The sheep could not enter the house. They had to remain outside. Not everything can come with us into the holy moment.
And perhaps that is the lesson.
Whether we leave things behind or carry them for a season, there are moments when we must loosen our grip. We cannot fully receive what God is doing while holding tightly to everything we have known. Letting go is not failure. It is trust. It is faith put into practice.
As we look ahead to the new year, we are invited to ask ourselves: What do we need to release in order to respond to God more freely? What burdens must remain outside so that we can enter fully into new life?
May God help us discern what to carry and what to let go of. And may open hands lead to open hearts, ready to receive and to bear fruit in the year ahead. Amen.
Warmly,
Rev. David Gaitan
