|
Well it’s Christmas so we had to get there ... Luke 2 The Birth of Jesus In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Well the fulfilment of the prophecy in David’s town all because Ruth married Boaz which takes us right back to Rahab and Jericho. The Roman empire held a census every 14 years. This time Joseph and Mary had to travel 80 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem at 8 and some months pregnant, this was a huge task on a donkey; goodness home to hospital by car was far enough for me. The only to find no room!! Oh I would have been so grrr... where is the national health service. They had to settle for the most primitive of accommodations -- an open stall for animals. The Messiah to be born in such pitiable conditions and in total obscurity, in meekness and lowliness to show us the way of perfect love. The Shepherds and the Angels And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. God sent the choirs of heaven to announce the birth of the Christ, his son, but not to the sparkling hosts of Jerusalem or too the palaces, he choose shepherds, the lowest on the ladder, but who had humble hearts open and ready to receive the King of Kings. There is a great paradox in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Son of God taking on human flesh that we might be clothed in his divinity. The Son of God became poor that we may become rich, rich not in material things which pass away, but rich in the things that last, a oneness with Aham asmi in Sanskri; ego eimi in Greek and YHWH in Hebrew. The Incarnation is the mystery of this marvellous exchange: when man's creator has become man so that we could share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share our humanity. Best is to come tomorrow J
|
