The King among the Common People

Luke 2:1-7

Today we are celebrating Armenian Christmas. Christmas stories are wonderful stories. People have heard them over and over. Authors and musicians have used their imagination in composing carols, writing Christmas plays and producing various forms of artwork. Sometimes our imagination has taken us too far from the real story. One my favorite teachers is Dr. Kenneth Bailey. His lectures about Christmas were very illuminating to me. I would like to refer to his notes in my next three messages.

First, please notice that only two authors from the gospel writers were interested in telling the story of Christmas. They were Matthew and Luke. Mark started his gospel with John the Baptist while John started his with theological statements about the Word (Jesus). “The word was with God and the Word became flesh.” Today I will use the narrative of Christmas from the Gospel of Luke.

Almost all Christmas plays, music or paintings tell us that Jesus was born in a stable. As there was no empty room in the inn, the innkeeper told Joseph and Mary about a stable. They tell is that Jesus was born at night just when the couple arrived in Bethlehem.

Let us look at some facts. Anyone who ever lived in the Middle East knows that when a son or daughter who was abroad and comes back for a visit, there will be extreme joy. Whenever the son comes back from a trip, the whole village comes together to rejoice. Whenever I returned from the USA to my father’s house, my parents invited many relatives so we could rejoice together.

Joseph is returning to Bethlehem, to his hometown. Scripture says that the Caesar wanted to take a census of the entire Roman world. “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.” (Vs. 4)

Joseph is going home, to his hometown. Bethlehem was called the City of David. The locals knew about that. But let us remember that Luke wrote for a Greek audience and explained the fact that Bethlehem is also the City of David.

Joseph goes to his hometown. He is not from any family; he is from the family of David. Anyone who lives in the Middle East knows that when one arrives to his hometown, every home will be open for him. Let me go even further. When any foreigner arrives, people will open their homes. How about if he is from their own family!

We also see that Mary had relatives in the nearby village called hill country of Judea. “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea.” (Luke 1:39) Mary and Elizabeth were cousins and they had a good relationship. If coming from Nazareth to Bethlehem took a few days, they could go to the hill country; it is one of the suburbs of Bethlehem. I mean why would they choose a stable if they had two other options. They could go to Bethlehem, to any house, or they could go to Mary’s cousin’s house.

Why would Jesus be born in a stable?

Why there would not be room in the inn?

Both are wrong. Joseph and Mary did not go to an inn. Jesus was not born in a stable.

I will continue in the English sermon.