“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, everyone to his own city.”
The old familiar story that we marvel at this time of year. When we were children in school and in church we acted out this story. A boy and girl took the part of Mary and Joseph, and the rest of us were shepherds or wise men.
Such a simple story but it seems that every time you read the Bible you see something new.
“And Joseph also went up from Nazareth unto the city of David which is called Bethlehem. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.” Google says this is 90 miles to the South. It should take 2 hours and 26 minutes via highway 6 so we hop into our Chevy, but wait a minute. In those days it probably took at least a week or more.
I will always wonder how they took their food, the hay for the donkey, and their suitcase. It could not have been easy traveling with a young woman, about to give birth, riding on a donkey. They probably followed the Jordan River, which afforded fresh water. Their trip would have taken them through Jerusalem. I imagine they slept outdoors sometimes and every town along the way probably had an inn.
Luke doesn’t talk about there being no room in the inn, but he does say that when Jesus was born they wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. Swaddling a baby, wrapping them very tight, was practiced for thousands of years. I have heard that these were strips of cloth set aside to wrap a deceased body.
As a lad I remember leaving the cow stable on Christmas Eve, and what a contented place it was. The barn was always warm, and the cows were contentedly chewing their cud. You would take a few seconds to marvel at what miracle is going to take place in the stable tonight.
If I could observe any moment of History it would be the angels coming to the shepherds:
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Other books talk about the star that stood above the stable. That night the shepherds came and found the baby. It turned out to be quite a night, and Luke says Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart.
Other books talk about wise men coming from the East and following the star. This was probably at a later date when they were living in a house. They probably were Magi, astrologers come from Babylon, which would have been a trip of 900 miles. Traveling at the dizzying speed of 10 miles per day this would have taken 90 days. They knew the scriptures and knew that there would be an unusual star.
When you are gathered with your loved ones this Christmas take two or three minutes to read aloud Luke 2:1-20, the beautiful story that never grows old.
—James Neuhouser
