The third Sunday of Advent we light the candle which stands out because it is a different color. This is the "Shepherd's Candle." We retell the wonderful story of how the shepherds shared God's Good News!
Matthew 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
So, where are the shepherds? Good question. Nothing is said about the shepherds in the Gospel of Matthew. Nothing is said about the shepherds in the Gospel of Mark. Nothing is said about the shepherds in the Gospel of John.
Only in the Gospel of Luke are the shepherds mentioned in the story of the nativity.
In the Gospel of Matthew we have the story of the Magi; and the story of Joseph taking Mary and Jesus to Egypt. We don't read about that in any of the other Gospels.
Why would the Gospel of Luke tell about shepherds? Luke wasn't there as an observer or participant at the nativity. Why would he talk about the angels revealing the birth of the Savior to the lowly and most humbled element of the working class?
You could even be homeless and be a shepherd. You didn't have to have a place to sleep because you slept out in the fields with the sheep. You didn't have to know anything in particular because the owner hired those who sheared the sheep. The owner took care of marketing and distribution of the wool. All the shepherds had to do was make certain no predators got to the sheep.
Maybe the Gospel of Luke told the story of the angels proclaiming the birth of the savior to shepherds because that was to be the job the Messiah was to assume -- that of the Shepherd.
He would say, "I am the good Shepherd..."
He came for those who were lowly and humbled. He became lowly and humbled. He continues to watch over those who are lowly and humbled.
He is the good Shepherd who knows and cares for His sheep.