Written ~ 12-24-2023
Luke 2:1-7
1 “At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”
Can you imagine the craziness in our world today if a decree came down that commanded we all had to move to our birthplaces? The whole world would be caught up in a chaotic upheaval. There would be a mass exodus from major cities, jammed highways and overbooked airlines. The patience of some would be pushed to their limits.
It would have been no different for Joseph and Mary. They would need to collect all of their belongings and set out on a journey that would take them to a whole new place. Let’s set the scene, Mary is roughly nine months pregnant, they don’t have a place to stay once they get into Bethlehem and who knows if they’ll even know anyone once they arrive. This would be stressful for anyone not to mention how stressful it would be for a heavily pregnant woman! Joseph would have been concerned for her wellbeing, he would make sure her comfort was at the top of his priority list.
So, they set out to Bethlehem from Nazareth. When I researched the distance between the two cities I found out that it was approximately 90 miles. Now to you and I that doesn’t seem that bad, just a quick trip in the car. But we obviously know that’s not how they traveled. It was more than likely on foot, possibly on a donkey. One of the Google searches, very matter of fact, said that the travel time would have been four days. The explanation for that time period was if they kept up a 2 ½ mph pace and walked for 8 hours a day. For those of you who walk or run you understand this kind of pace. But to assume a young woman who is nine months pregnant is walking for 8 hours at that kind of pace is a little far-fetched. Even if this journey took them a week if would have been quite an arduous trek.
The first thing I want to do after a long walk or run is to jump into a nice warm shower, wash away the sweat and grime and sooth my aching muscles. Joseph and Mary would not have that kind of welcome when they entered the gates of Bethlehem. They would have been met with a lot of commotion, people arriving from all over, searching for places to stay. I would imagine this would have added to the stress of such a long journey. Each door they knocked on was denial after denial. Joseph would be increasingly more worried about Mary’s comfort and would feel the pressure to provide a warm bath and soft bed for her. The Bible doesn’t tell us how they came upon a stable, but I would think it was the last resort. If you have ever been to a barn, it’s not necessarily the most cleanliest of places. But this young couple didn’t seem to have a choice. This is where the King of Glory was to take His first breath.
Though not ideal, God had a plan. His purpose for the humble surroundings for Christ’s birth gives us a glimpse of who our Savior is and how He entered the world.
Father in Heaven, thank you for sending Your Son to be born with such humble beginnings. Help me to always worship my Savior with a humble heart. I thank you and praise you Father for all you have done in my life.
~AMEN~