CHRISTMAS LESSON: SHEPHERDS AND THE STAR/Luke 2:8-20
Why did the shepherds catch the gleams of a light that was not sunlight or moonlight or fire light? Because they were setting themselves free from the world-wide idea that some kind of material light must shine or they would be in darkness.
"Shepherds were watching their flocks by night, When far o'er the hills shown a beautiful light."
That which was being enacted on the Jordan hills 1900 years ago is again taking place. Those who put to one side the "passes" of the doctrines of mankind are shepherds taking good care of their thoughts. The light that shines is the science of God now being taught. It has no trace of the sunlight or moonlight of former doctrine in its mysterious shining. To those who follow where it leads there is a young realization born. This realization of the divine power and divine harmony, waiting within each soul to be the arbiter of each life, is the young Jesus Christ.
No one has yet come into the manger with offerings of all his gold and frankincense and myrrh of property, genius, reputation. They who have the light shine round are those who think they will follow up the science and see where it leads. It will lead down to the meekness and lowliness of yielding up of will, love of praise, fear of blame, eagerness to be successful, into the mysterious manger of nothingness of such traditions.
He who does this is afterward lost as a shepherd of sheep. He is the Christ. He can work miracles. He shall not be a man with the idea of limited abilities. He shall be Jesus Christ with all power. He shall not reckon his age by years, his possessions by count, his health by state of flesh. He shall realize that before the world was he was, and without end is his ownership. His health and beauty are not reckoned by conditions of flesh, but by his mastership of flesh as Spirit.
There are a great number near the manger. They are now learning to give up their eagerness for praise, their fear of blame, their struggles to be ahead of their neighbors or to be of equal importance with the rest of the sound of the voice of Spirit. The "passes" of the world's competitions do not move them. They know that success must first be of the Spirit before it has any taste.
"Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added."
"For we know that prosperity is of Thee."
It is now time for the light of Spiritual science to shine over the shepherds of the planet as it once shone over the shepherds of Judea. As Mary was not Jesus Christ but only brought Him forth, so those who brought out this doctrine from the archives of the ages where it had been hidden are not Jesus Christ because they have not shown the miracle working power of Jesus Christ, the Spiritual science of his hour.
But as Mary yielded all things to Jesus, so those who preach it are now giving it its absolute freedom with their life. They are standing back and letting it demonstrate for itself. The knowledge which they bear in their bosom that it is omnipotent truth, is as much activity as they care to exhibit.
"Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart." We will each do our protecting duty by the young science, which never had any beginning but was with man from his first breath. We will tell how true it is. We will tell its doctrines. We will praise its power. We will yield all we have, and are, to it till we are it absolutely. We shall prove that we are it only by our power of demonstrating in plain light of all mankind that there is no sin, no sickness, no death, no poverty, no feebleness, no senility, no mourning, for God is omnipresent and afflicted by none of these things.
December 25, 1892