Let's just think about this for a minute. Have you read the story? Actually, let's call it a historical account. The word "story" implies that it was made up by some well-paid children's author. Let's revisit the account for a moment.
Scene One - An angel tells Mary that she's pregnant. Folks, let's stop the wagon right here. If an angel showed up at my door this moment and told me that I was preggers, I think my automatic response would be, "I ain't got time for that!" Mary had an even better excuse, though. She simply looked at the angel and made it known that she had not "been with" Joseph. The angel continued to tell her that she wasn't expecting Joseph's baby, but a baby whose kingdom would go on forever. The angel even told her what to name the baby, Jesus. Folks, let me just say that in the hustle and bustle of life, I probably would have rolled my eyes at that angel and just assumed that a missed dose of meds was to blame for the insanity. In this crazy day and time, how many declarations do we miss? I'm pretty sure that God has NOT sent an angel to tell me that I'm having a baby, but what about the little stuff? Those opportunities that we miss because we are so busy with life. How many folks have I blown off because I thought they were nuts? (Hey, I work in a school with a bunch of women. I have those thoughts daily)! And, what about Mary's reaction? She didn't take her plight to Facebook. She didn't scream out, "That's not fair!" But, she was human. I have to wonder if she thought Joseph would head for the hills when he found out that she was pregnant. Oh, the scandal that this sort of thing would cause today! Judy Judy would be all over this. Dr. Phil would probably be right behind! Mary simply spoke to the angel and told her that she would do this for the Lord. Oh, what a lesson. I would be so wrapped up in playing the "It's Not Fair Game, " that I would completely miss the peace of being able to keep my mouth shut and just do it!
Scene Two - Fast forward a few months. Now, Mary is very pregnant. Do you remember those last few months of pregnancy? Standing in line at the grocery store and Junior starts tap dancing on your bladder. Collapsing on the sofa after a long day only to watch Junior start squirming around in your belly making it look like an alien is about to bust forth from your belly button. Or (this was my favorite), not being able to take a full breath because sweet little babe had his heels up against your lungs. Those last few months and weeks of pregnancy make you feel sort of like you've swallowed a baby whale and the whale is frantically looking for some way to get OUT! So, this is the predicament Mary finds herself in when she and Joseph find out that they will need to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to satisfy the demands of the government. The distance between those two cities is about 120 miles. Yes, there was a shorter route, but it went straight through Samaria. The terrain was rough, and Jews hated Samaritans. So, it's pretty safe to assume that Joseph and Mary took the long way around. (And if Joseph had to stop and ask for directions at some point, who knows what the actual mileage might have been)! And, while we're talking about historical facts, did you know that there's no real account of Mary riding a donkey? During this time period, most folks just walked. It's a nice thought to believe that Joseph tried to help Mary out by having her ride a donkey, but... There's no evidence of the donkey ride. Ok. I just chased a big squirrel. Yikes. Back to the story... So, Mary and Joseph head out on foot on a 120 mile journey. She's VERY pregnant. I didn't like walking down the stairs at that point in the game! I'd like to think that Mary was silently grumbling about the voyage the whole way. I'm just keeping it real! (Note that Mary must have been in great shape, though. She had made the journey before for the census with her family, and she had walked to see her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. There's lots of research showing all of the steps she probably took throughout her life. I guess she would have been a great representative for FitBit)!
Scene Three - They make it to Bethlehem only to find "no room at the inn." Yeah, most everyone knows that part of the story. We see the illustrations of poor Mary (usually atop a donkey) waiting patiently while Joseph arranges for accommodations in the stable. Forget about a Holiday Inn with nice cushy beds. Nope. Not even Motel 6 with the light left on! They got the keys to the stable. Now, here's another historical fact. Most likely, the stable they stayed in was not made of wood with a nice straw roof. In this area of the world, caves were used as areas to shelter animals. No. I'm not kidding. So, try to adjust the beautiful imagery that all of the Nativity scenes have imprinted on your brain. A cave. And, I'm pretty sure that those pearly white gowns that you see Joseph and Mary wearing were most likely covered in dust and muck from their journey. I'd be willing to bet that there weren't too many laundromats along the way. Recreate those beautiful images with a very dirty Mary and Joseph standing in front of a cave with a sparse covering of hay, animal manure, and animals loitering around. This is how Mary labored to bring Jesus into the world. She did not have a penthouse birthing suite with a whirlpool tub and flat-screen TV. I'd like to think the inn keeper's wife might have come out and helped deliver the baby, but I don't know that.
 |
| This is semi-historically accurate with the family in a cave. |
Scene Four - Jesus was born and the wise men (Magi) appear. Once again, in this crazy Golden Book, the pages of Jesus' birth show him wrapped neatly in bright white cloth for all to see. Right. Have you see what a birthing room looks like afterwards? I'll save you the flashbacks, but nothing is really left in a brilliant white condition. So, poor Joseph and Mary who are tired and dirty now have a little baby boy wrapped in whatever cloth they could salvage from their own clothing or what the inn keeper might have offered. I sure know that I didn't want any strange men showing up in my birthing suite in the hours (or days) after I gave birth. But, enter the Magi. Once again, note that we don't know for sure if there were really three Magi. Folks have just made that assumption since there were three gifts given. Shame on those other Magi for not bringing a baby gift! How rude! And, seriously, why did these Magi even show up? Well, it was customary for nations to give gifts to their "superiors." The Magi were honoring the prophetic beliefs among the Jews, Romans and others that a world ruler was then destined to come from the race of Abraham in the area of Palestine. They knew this was not just another new kid on the block! And, at this time in history, astronomy was very important. (The Magi were most likely astronomers and / or astrologers). Remember, there weren't any GPS devices. The folks used the stars to guide them. And, with the rising of the "His star," the Magi went to Bethlehem. If having royalty show up at the birthing party wasn't enough, don't forget about those shepherds! I think my family would sort of be more like the shepherd. They would need an actual angel to show up and say, "Go see!" Magi, shepherds, and animals... oh my! I have to admit that Mary just has way more class than I do. Visitors were not on my agenda with a newborn, but Mary realized in that time that she had just given birth to a Savior.
Despite my hatred for historically inaccurate children's Christmas books, there are so many lessons that we can take away from Mary. Look at what Mary had to go through to bring Jesus into the world. The road was not easy. There were lots of distractions. (Once again, back to the horror of having strange men loitering around - even if they did bring three cool gifts). There were challenges. But she did it, and she did it with class.
This time of the year, I get so overwhelmed. In the time it has taken me to type out this entry, my phone has rung (high school calling me to come and get my daughter because she's sick), texts continue to ding through my phone, the dog peed on the carpet, and I really need to pee. My mind is preoccupied with trying to juggle the afternoon's activities and get everyone out on the other side with minimal counseling needed. This is real life. Just think about it. In the midst of the chaos of having a baby in a stable with strange men about, Mary saw nothing more than the beautiful face of her baby boy. The child of an unplanned pregnancy. She found peace amidst a storm like no other.
Those are the ramblings of my brain tonight. Take away what you want or need.
Good night, all.
