Shepherds and Short Ribs
After returning home from the grocery store, I gathered the ingredients I needed to prepare dinner. I started with my veggies: diced onions, celery, and carrots for the mirepoix. I picked some fresh thyme and two generously sized garlic cloves. I removed the hero ingredients from the butcher’s paper: beautifully marbled, bone-in beef short ribs. Liberally coating each side of the meat with salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic, and onion powder, I seared the beef in my trusty cast iron Dutch oven and filled our home with the intoxicating smell of roasted meat. Once the meat had a nice browned crust, I cooked the mirepoix in the rendered fat and deglazed the pot with a cup of dark lager and beef broth. I carefully nestled the seared beef ribs into the liquid to braise for the afternoon.
Beef is expensive, but I always try to consider how easy it is for someone like me to acquire a specific portion of meat from a cow. I go to the supermarket, go to the meat section, select 1.5 kilograms of bone-in short rib, and go home. Anthony Bourdain once remarked that as a chef, he often felt a bit like a mob boss who could just make a call and have some hitman go out to do his dirty work and bring him whatever portion of meat he wanted.
“Understand this about me- and about most chefs, I’m, guessing: For my entire professional career, I’ve been like Michael Corleone in The Godfather, Part II, ordering up death over the phone or with a nod or a glance. When I want meat, I make a call, or I give my sous-chef, my butcher, or my charcutier a look, and they make the call.” -Anthony Bourdain (A Cooks Tour)
"Go out and bring me some lamb legs!" and boom! The deed is done, and the parts arrive at the grocery store for any home cook to purchase.
Farms do all the heavy lifting for us. They gather massive amounts of food for us to acquire any vegetable or animal we’d like to eat. Humans have come a long way over the thousands of years we’ve roamed the earth. We are far removed from being hunter-gatherers subsisting off the planet. I’ll be the first to admit that we wouldn’t last long if I had to hunt the food my family eats. The only firearms I’ve used are in video games. My family and I thrive because of farmers. I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what I’d like to eat, but I don’t have to think about how I will acquire my supper.
There’s an ancient story in the book of Genesis where we read about two brothers, Cain and Abel. The Bible tells us that Cain was a farmer. He planted seeds and grew vegetables, and he built a life where he could afford to live in one place—a life where he could plant, grow, harvest, and store. Cain did not have to follow food to live. His brother Abel was a shepherd, and some scholars have interpreted the scriptures to view him as a hunter-gatherer. Abel was nomadic and moved from place to place with his sheep, hunting and gathering what he could find to eat. An innocent sense of trust is implied in a hunter-gatherer’s lifestyle. In ancient times, a shepherd had to trust that God would provide enough food to live. Sometimes, they would succeed in a hunt; sometimes, they would fail and go hungry. The farmer, on the other hand, built a life that increased the odds of survival and took back some control over his destiny. Humans were able to build cities due to the efforts of the farmers—a lifestyle where one could make a last-minute decision to purchase a few choice portions of beef. The Bible says that God accepted the sacrifices of Abel but rejected the sacrifices of Cain. Perhaps it is an indication of God blessing a more humble lifestyle. This idea isn’t written in the account in Genesis; this is an interpretation. The scriptures are clear in that the story takes a painfully tragic turn when Cain becomes full of contempt for his brother Abel and murders him.
Let’s stop here for a moment and ask ourselves a question. How would human history have played out if Western civilization had chosen the path of the shepherd? If you take this line of thinking forward a few steps, it’s clear that both brothers could have built a life, but one would have an advantage in building cities, nations, and armies. There would be less war and violence if humans lived more like the ancient shepherds, taking only what they needed and journeying forward.
The tragic truth in human history is that anytime a hunter-gatherer has gotten in the way of farming, we remove him from the land. Just like Cain, when we’re confronted with the evil of that action, our response has often been similar, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Another way to word this could be, “I’m not taking any responsibility for this.”
Let’s fast forward to the first Christmas.
I wonder if the fear the shepherds experienced in the Christmas story was not just because they were seeing a supernatural event in the sky but because it was an army. Powerful armies have always been used to push aside and kill the nomadic people. The shepherds outside of Bethlehem were well aware of the power and might of the Roman Empire. An army declaring anything on that day rarely meant that peace was at hand. Usually, it meant that violence and death were imminent.
It should be noted that it's probable the shepherds in the Christmas story were priests taking care of sheep and raising animals intended for the Passover feast. It was a sacred duty. These shepherds would have exercised a high degree of care raising the animals. This lifestyle was not an example of mass meat consumerism at work. It was faith lived out with service and care. The role of the shepherd remained with the Hebrew faith over the course of generations. You cannot separate this tradition from the Bible and Judaism. Every major hero in the Hebrew scriptures come from a shepherding background.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” -Luke 2:8-14 NIV
This angelic army did not come with a threat or ultimatum- this army brought forth an invitation—a different kind of army from a different kind of kingdom.
Shepherds were invited to experience the arrival of the Messiah—the one who would usher in a new world of justice and peace. Perhaps those at the forefront of this kingdom of God are the ones whose lives already model what it means to be human as God intended—living humbly, taking only what they need, and serving. All of this is sacred.
So what are we supposed to do then?! Stop buying short ribs? Should we all start hunting for our dinners and wander around the country like the Littelest Hobbo? I’m not sure about you, but I can’t pull that off today; I’d make a terrible nomad. We all prefer the comforts enjoyed on the road paved by Cain.
This is what we can do. In our decision-making, we can make choices that reflect the path that grants us more power, or we can choose to walk a trail that makes room for others. We can choose generosity and support the agencies that help those in need in our communities. When we share what we have with others, power is surrendered. We create fewer options for ourselves by creating opportunities for those with less. Or, as the quote from Ghandi suggests, “Live simply so that others may simply live.” Perhaps this is the challenging but sustainable path walked by the original shepherd in the book of Genesis.
This way of life aligns with a savior who would come to proclaim good news to the poor and bring freedom to those who are trapped in impossible situations. This is what it means to follow the ways of the Prince of peace… the good Shepherd. To live a life that is humble, kind, and generous. A spirituality that’s both small and galactic at the same time. It is a small faith that submits to being human, but galactic in that this faith looks to unlocking the breathtaking possibilities of life.
“O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”- Micah 6:8
The first Christmas story in the gospels is a declaration of hope. A hope not just reserved for a single group of people but for everyone. The promise of a world where everyone can live in peace. A world first modeled by humble shepherds. I always look for ways to walk that trail, and I hope you do.
Friend, thank you for reading. It’s been some time since I’ve shared a Christmas message. I appreciate you being here for this one. Wherever you are, Merry Christmas!
-Jordan
Notes:
The idea of Cain and Abel as farmers and hunter-gatherers is not an insight I came up with on my own. It’s an idea that’s explored in the book, “Ishmael”by Daniel Quinn published by Bantam/Turner Books in 1992. I went through this book this year, and though it’s a work of fiction, it’s made a huge impact on how I see the world and the creation story in Genesis.
For insights into the priestly role of Shepherds in the New Testament, check out “The Real Truth About the Shepherds On that First Christmas Night.” This is a detail I’ve often missed when reading the story.
Anthony Bourdain’s “A Cooks Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal” Published by Bloomsbury Press in 2001, has a poignant chapter on what’s all involved in the death of an animal so that we can enjoy meat.
I use the NIV-First Century Study Bible with study notes by Kent Dobson. It was originally published by Zondervan in 2014. It’s no longer in print, but you can still find it online. I referenced an article on Shepherds that I found super insightful.