“Don’t shoot the messenger,” she said, noticing the look of pain on the faces of those let down by her news. No one I know wants to deliver bad news.
The Prophet Isaiah seemed to understand this human reality when he said, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring the happy news of peace and salvation.” Who wouldn’t want to hear the good news of peace and salvation? Who wouldn’t want to hug the person bringing such a message?
In the 2nd book of Angela Hunts Jerusalem Road Series, we meet two sisters at different ends of the social hierarchy. Damaris married into money. Her husband, Shimon, is on the path toward becoming a Pharisee. A powerful group of prestigious and influential men held high regard by society.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring the happy news of peace and salvation.
Isaiah 52:7
Pheodora, on the other hand, married a shepherd. A man who sleeps with livestock and is often away from home. Scarcity is the prevailing condition of their household. Her husband, Chirac, belongs to a group of men not invited to social gatherings.
The sisters have one thing in common, however. Their older brother. A traveling prophet spreading controversy wherever He goes that He claims to be good news.
Well, good news for shepherds, at least. Pharisees failed to see what was so good for those who already had more than they needed. The good news that Yeshua brought turned the usual rules of social expectations upside down. What kind of a world would it be if shepherds and Pharisees sat at the same table for supper?
Welcome to our series, Belonging. We begin our exploration of Pharisees and shepherds on the first Sunday in July. Our companion book, The Shepherd’s Wife, offers a fictional story based on scripture that challenges us to explore the Gospel’s good news from fresh perspectives.
I hope that you’ll join us each Sunday. You can find a copy of Angela’s Hunt’s book online, in bookstores, or at your local library.
I pray that you will join us each Sunday morning at 10:30 am. We share our weekly episodes on our YouTube channel. We go live at 10:30 am. You can find these links along with more information about us, or join our live broadcast on our website at FlintAsbury.org.
Pastor Tommy
Angela Hunt. The Shepherd’s Wife. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2020.