The Christmas Story Uncut
Read:
Introduction
Part One - The Census
Part Two - The Plan
Part Three - The Journey
Part Four - The Rejection
Part Five - The Angels
Part Six - The Manger
Part Seven - The Shepherds
Part Eight - The Question
Introduction
Luke 2:1-7
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (KJV)
The facts are few and the account minimal to the point of absurdity. In a few short verses, Luke tells us everything we know about the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, he who would come to be known as the Christ.
His father traveled sixty miles south from Nazareth to Bethlehem because of a census of some kind. For reasons unknown to us, Joseph brought along his fiancé who was expecting a child at any time. The four to five day walk must have been tough for her.
When they arrived in Bethlehem she went into labor. Whatever accommodations they had hoped for did not work out, so they had to find a place at the last minute. The swaddling clothes were normal, of course, and the trough bed was probably not unheard of either. Mary and Joseph were common people and used to making do with what was at hand.
There is wonder and mystery in this story, much of it hiding between the verses and in the silences that cry out to pilgrim readers. Luke's soft words give us the gentle and polite details, but the real story was one of pain and surprise, of grace, beauty and brutality.
I'm fascinated by how we have filled in the gaps over the years. In building our own Christmas story, we have padded this bare account with cultural details, many of which are anachronistic or simply unlikely.
It is unlikely that Mary rode a donkey in the last stages of her pregnancy. It is unlikely that the census required her to make the journey at all. In her state she could have stayed at home with her mother. Why Joseph brought her is something of a mystery.
There certainly was no inn or innkeeper. The Greek word Luke used was "kataluma," as in, "There was no room for them in the kataluma." Scholars agree that this word describes a spare room of some kind or perhaps a common room for travelers who needed a roof over their heads. On busy nights there would have been several families snoozing in the corners of the village kataluma, covered with blankets and robes.
Most surprising is the truth about the manger. Wooden barns of the type seen in most nativity sets were not known in Judea, where wood was scarce. There are limestone caves nearby that might have housed animals. Certainly mangers would have been there. The truth is, many homes had mangers. Archaeologists have excavated dwellings in the area and discovered that peasant homes often had two levels, the upper for the family and the lower for the animals. A permanent stone trough in the lower part of the house was the most common type of manger.
Finally, three kings did not appear at his birth bringing gifts. The bible says that magi came, stargazing priests of ancient Persian tradition. The number of magi is not specified, and in any case, they did not arrive until perhaps two years later. By that time, Mary and Joseph had moved into a house. The magi story is from Matthew's gospel and has no real connection to the actual birth of Jesus.
It seems the real Christmas story is lacking many of our favorite elements. Perhaps you are wondering what kind of story might be left without the donkey and the animals in the barn, without the busy but kindly innkeeper, without the rickety manger, and without the stunning gifts lying in the straw.
What kind of story, indeed.
I intend to tell that story, in eight parts, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'll post part one of The Christmas Story Uncut on December 1st. I intend to post part eight on December 23rd.
This is my way of saying thanks to all of you who have come here to read since Real Live Preacher was born last December. You have swaddled me with your stunning affirmation, and my life has been changed forever.
rlp
Click here to read part one
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