The Flaws in Our Christmas Narrative

Our Christmas narratives and pageants present the idea that Joseph and Mary barely made it into town and frantically went door to door while she was in labour.  Instead, they would have carefully planned the difficult trip to answer the decree from Caesar that all his empire should be counted.  Let’s take a closer look at some of the details.

TRAVEL to the INN

It is approximately 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  We don’t know if Mary rode on a donkey but perhaps she did as it would be difficult to travel at any great length for a woman in her third trimester. The trip may have taken 7 to 10 days.

The couple probably planned to stay at the home of a relative of Joseph’s but the extra “guest room” had already been taken.  A small room was often built into the lower level of homes to bed the animals during cold weather. It was there, where it was quieter with fresh straw put down, that Mary and Joseph would stay. They may have arrived up to a week or more before the baby was due but again we don’t really know. The writers of the gospels were not interested in these minute details.  Luke 2 simply recounts that “while they were there her days were completed”. Since maternal and infant mortality was high in those days it is also possible a midwife was called to assist.

SHEPHERDS and ANGELS

Shepherds were considered unclean in the community of God’s people because of the dirty smelly job they did.  Yet we are told the announcement of the Mesaiahs’ birth came to them first.  Angels are not like our little girls wearing white dresses and halos but are instead  blindingly bright and fearsome.  No one else heard the angels singing: not Mary and Joseph, not King Herod.

Luke 2:8–14 (ESV)
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

These men (and maybe a woman or two) ran to find this child that the angels proclaimed was The Messiah. I wonder what Mary and Joseph thought when these strange people showed up. These shepherds, low on the social totem pole, were the first visitors to see this baby in a manger. They retold their amazing experience to the couple and everyone else they saw. The bible tells us “Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart”.

THE WISEMEN

Of all the characters in our story the wisemen or Magi are debated the most.  Legend tells us that there were three named Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar. Scriptures do not support this part of our narrative. The distance is about 1700 miles from Persia (modern day Iran)and even in a caravan would take 4 to 5 months.

As educated men, they would have been quite familiar with the Old Testament prophesies of a Jewish Savior, also known as the Messiah, from when the Jews had been held captive in ancient Babylon. These astronomers/atrologers diligently studied the stars and one day they saw an unusual new star in the western sky. Something different. Something they believed told of the birth of that special king in Israel. The Bible also tells us that their intention was grounded in knowing that this Child was born the King of the Jews and so they came to worship Him.  No one else saw the star: not Herod or his wisemen.  Scholars believe Jesus may have been anywhere from 40 days to 2 years old so the wisemen do not belong in our creche.

Matthew 2:11
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

 

NOT A SILENT NIGHT

Every candlelight Christmas Eve service for as long as I can remember ends with singing Silent Night as we hold our candles high. However, Bethlehem was packed with families and their animals in town for the census.  It was crowded, dirty, loud and smelly. Jesus left the glories of eternity to be born into abject poverty as a fragile human baby.  Angels proclaimed his birth only to the lowly shepherds and the star was seen and followed by wealthy Gentile kings from a foreign country. Jesus, Messiah came for all. His message is both personal and for all mankind.

John 3:16–17
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Please don’t put away your nativity sets and enjoy the music and pageants. But understand they are simple representations of a much bigger story. The Bible does not give us every little detail but the message is clear. Jesus humbled himself, came to earth as an infant, born of a virgin to grow up and experience life just like us. His purpose was to seek and save the lost and die a horrendous death for our sin to restore a right relationship with God. He came to be Emmanuel- GOD With US.  Rejoice this Christmas in knowing the real meaning of the season.