--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were only a few shepherds at the…" description: "\"There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the donkey understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cc/thomas-merton-231_bethlehem_there-were-only-a-few-shepherds-at-the-f_2210802.jpg" --- # There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem… ![“There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the donkey understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cc/thomas-merton-231_bethlehem_there-were-only-a-few-shepherds-at-the-f_2210802.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cc/thomas-merton-231_bethlehem_there-were-only-a-few-shepherds-at-the-f_2210802.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cc/thomas-merton-231_bethlehem_there-were-only-a-few-shepherds-at-the-f_2210802.jpg) > “There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the donkey understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even humble animals seemed to grasp the true meaning of Christmas better than religious leaders, a point that remains true today. **In simple terms:** Simple creatures understood Christmas more than priests. Key Takeaway Seek humility and simplicity in spiritual practice. Themes spirituality humility tradition critique Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - holiday celebrations - faith education - interfaith dialogue - personal reflection Key Concepts symbolism religious critique Questions to Reflect On - What can we learn from humble perspectives? - How do we avoid idealizing simplicity? A Different Perspective The comparison may romanticize animals and oversimplify religious complexity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Jerusalem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jerusalem/) [Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priests/) [Shepherds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shepherds/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [“Even in the wake of tragedy, we could not have felt more amazed had we been visited by an angel that Christmas morning. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sy-montgomery/even-in-the-wake-of-tragedy-we-could-not-have-felt-more-amazed-had-we/) [Sy Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sy-montgomery/) > [I went to church every Sunday...I understood Christmas and what Easter was about. 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