For more years than I can remember I have been leading Bible studies about the Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke.  My traditional way to begin is by asking folks to tell me the story of the birth of Jesus, which I write down as folks recite the story.  Then I ask them to look at the story as they have told it and tell me what is from Matthew, what from Luke, what is in both Gospels, and what is in neither. It is often an enlightening exercise which highlights the different messages and ways of telling -- Matthew emphasizing Jesus born in poverty, and Luke examining the unexpected sources of true power, true kingship, and the role of foreigners.  But one of the real shockers is the absence of any animals mentioned in either gospel, except the notice in Luke 2:8 that the shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks by night.  Does this mean that all those animals pictured in our many creche scenes are unbiblical, unimportant, and just plain wrong?  This biblical scholar wishes to say no!  I want to say that the many animals thus pictured are implied by the text. 

            In Matthew we have shepherds, so we must have sheep.  The babe is laid in a manger, so the surrounding cattle and their own babes are most certainly present. And would not pregnant Mary travel from Galilee to Nazareth riding on a donkey, anticipating the journey of Jesus into Jerusalem and recalling Zechariah 9:9 when the king arrives “humble and riding on a donkey.”

            In Luke would not the magi from the East be riding on their camels, just as the Queen of Sheba arrived to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem bearing many gifts in I Kings 10:1-2? We surely know that nature is actively present in Luke’s telling as the rising star leads the magi on their journey.

            So, what is added by the implied presence of all these animals?  Certainly, we sense that the Jesus comes as a gift for all creation.  But I think there is more. The animals provide both praise and care.  We hear the animals praise though memories of psalms when all creation cries.  We hear the animals praise alongside all of nature when we sing such carols as Joy to the World, joining “fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains” to “repeat the sounding joy.”

            But the care of the animals is not only God caring for them like the shepherds tending their flocks.  The care is reciprocal. As I write this column, I am visiting my mother in her final days.  We have with us our dog, Zippy, who has become her care dog, licking her hands and face and leaping up on the bed to snuggle beside her.  The various animals gathered in our nativity scenes become - in our presence - the caretakers of Jesus, showing us the way.  The animals teach not just our children as they take part in Christmas pageants, but us as well. This caring characteristic of the animals who surround us and the babe is most beautifully captured by the wonderful ancient Christmas Carol, The Friendly Beasts, who sing of the gifts they bring to Jesus, their brother: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Friendly_Beasts)

Jesus our brother, strong and good,

Was humbly born in a stable rude,

And the friendly beasts around Him stood,

Jesus our brother, strong and good.

I, said the donkey shaggy and brown,

I carried His mother up hill and down

I carried her safely to Bethlehem town;

I, said the donkey shaggy and brown.

I, said the cow all white and red,

I gave Him my manger for His bed,

I gave Him my hay to pillow His head;

I, said the cow all white and red.

I, said the sheep with curly horn,

I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm,

He wore my coat on Christmas morn;

I, said the sheep with curly horn.

I, said the dove, from the rafters high,

Cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry.

We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I;

I, said the dove, from the rafters high.

And every beast, by some good spell,

In the stable dark was glad to tell

Of the gifts they gave Immanuel;

The gifts they gave Immanuel.