You Did Hear That From Me

“After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.” Luke 2:17 NLT

One of my favorite sketch comedy shows of all time is “In Living Color.” Created by Keenen Ivory Wayans, this show ran in the early 1990s and featured some of the most hilarious and memorable characters on television. Favorites include Fire Marshall Bill, Vera de Milo, the hosts of the Homeboy Shopping Network, Homey D. Clown and Wanda. But one of my personal favorites was Ms. Benita. Kim Wayans played this character who was a neighborhood gossip. She would greet her neighbors in a friendly tone, then lower her voice and tell viewers the latest gossip about them. Her catchphrase was, “I ain’t one to gossip, so you didn’t hear that from me.” It was funny, and somewhat inspirational.

Now, I’m not encouraging you to spread gossip or talk about people behind their backs. But there’s some news that’s worth sharing and worth spreading. The book of Luke gives the most lengthy account of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. In chapter 2, Jesus is born in a manger in Bethlehem. Shepherds nearby were tending their flocks when an angel of the Lord appeared and told them news of the birth of the Savior. The shepherds hurried to see the child, and they were so amazed at Him that they couldn’t wait to tell everybody what had happened. And still today, once we have received Christ in our lives and accepted His amazing gift of salvation, we must go out and tell everyone we can about our Savior. So, this holiday season, let us all be like the shepherds. Go and tell people about Jesus and how he came to save us from our sins. You may even wanna start with “I ain’t one to gossip, but you did hear this from me!”