Christmas Meditation Year A
Luke 2:1-14 Exhausting. That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of Mary and Joseph’s ninety mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the Roman census. That trek is equivalent traveling from here to Falls River, Massachusetts by foot or by animal. Ninety exhausting miles. As Joseph and a very pregnant Mary plodded one foot in front of the other, their hamstrings ached, their backs were sore and their arms wearied from leading the pack animals. They fantasized about what it would be like to finally arrive Bethlehem … with a warm bed and hot food. As they continued, they wondered if they would ever get to Bethlehem. Sometimes their trip felt endless. When an angel had first appeared to Mary and foretold the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph had both thought things would be different – like Mary would be treated with reverence or at least been allowed to get out of this whole traveling to Bethlehem thing. But here they were, dressed in dirty, ragged clothing, plodding through the wilderness fantasizing about food and beds. Just like any other dirty, smelly pilgrim. It was ironic that their child’s name was supposed to be Jesus, which meant salvation, because Joseph and Mary could use some salvation right about now, salvation from the bone-crushing weariness, salvation from the monotony of their days, salvation from the oppressive Roman empire, salvation from their fellow human beings who were full […]