THANKFUL

More Thoughts on the Road to Bethlehem

Chatting with Jesus

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Lord, what did Joseph and Mary talk about during their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem? Certainly, they prayed the baby wouldn’t be born on the side of the road, but in case he came, did they have a game plan? Would God’s Son come when they stopped for the night among other travelers camped along the way? Maybe among the multitude traveling the busy road from Jerusalem to Galilee would be a midwife who could help. Joseph may have been an excellent carpenter, but birthing babies probably wasn’t his thing.

Mary must have been miserable. Donkey riding and ninth-month pregnancy do not harmonize. Hot, swollen, feet and ankles the size of cantaloupes. At least the nausea and vomiting subsided weeks ago. In moments of pain and exhaustion, did Mary get angry at you, Lord, for putting her through this misery? But did Mary never forget the baby she carried was the Son of God, that she would fulfill a major role in salvation for all mankind. When did Joseph and Mary realize the significance that the Creator of the Universe trusted them to be the earthly parents of God’s Son?

On the fourth day Jerusalem came in sight. The city sat on Mount Zion with the Temple rising majestically above the city, glimmering in the sunshine. Bethlehem lay on the rolling plains five miles south of the city.

The Temple and Bethlehem had a connection. The grassy plains surrounding Bethlehem were perfect for raising livestock. Here, the shepherds raise the lambs, sheep, and goats used for sacrifices in the Temple. Thousands of sacrificial lambs were offered yearly.

Their arduous journey would be over within a couple of day.