Getting older doesn’t necessarily make you wiser, or even smarter, but it does give you more experience. And one thing I’ve learned from experience is not to go to the mall the weekend before Christmas.
I was reminded of that crowded mall craziness when I read through Luke 2 this morning, as I do almost every Christmas. Here’s the pertinent passage, from Luke 2:4-7:
“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 guest room available for them.”
How crowded do you think the town of Bethlehem must have been for the inn-keeper to put a pregnant woman, one on the verge of giving birth, one who’d just ridden a donkey for several days, in a barn. If there wasn’t a bed for her, there were probably people sleeping in the streets. It was probably hard to find food enough to feed everyone.
I wonder why God chose to be born into such a madhouse. Why not Jerusalem? Why not a nice noble couple with a fine house, or a high priest like cousin John?
As I consider it, this odd birthplace becomes a snapshot of Jesus’ ministry to us. We’re all going about our frantic, often stressful lives. We’re taking care of business, making sure there’s enough to eat and a roof over our heads. And here Jesus comes, right in the middle of all that frustration and hustle and pressure. And we, like Bethlehem, barely notice the new hope that suddenly is there, like a candle in the dark. It takes a choir of angels to get our attention, that what we really need is with us.
We need a Savior. Oh, do we need a Savior. And oh what a Savior we got.
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