Luke 2:1-5 Christ Born of Mary
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
This photo has been taken at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. It shows the interior of the stable/cave where Jesus was born. The only thing wrong with the photo is the manger, for all indications are that the manger would have been a stone feed trough rather than a wooden construction. Stone is far more durable and wood was at a premium even in Jesus’ day.
When you look at that place, there’s nothing warm or Christmasy about it, although there were probably animals that helped keep the place warm. At least the cave wouldn’t have been drafty and the temperature would have been constant. But contrast that place with a modern delivery suite like the one pictured below. Two midwives and a doctor are assisting this lady to deliver in a nice clean well-lighted room. To quote the carol, “All is calm, all is bright.”
Had Mary delivered at home, there would have been ta local midwife to help, and her mother and other female relatives would have been there as well. The lighting might not have been much; however, the place would have been as clean as several women could make it, and there would have been plenty of clean cloths to catch the blood. Once baby Jesus was born, he would have been cleaned and then rubbed with salt before being wrapped in swaddling cloths.
But that night, Mary had only Joseph to help her. The pains had begun earlier that afternoon. Mary sat on the donkey while Joseph desperately searched for a place for them to stay. By the time the inn keeper grudgingly gave permission for them to occupy the stable, Mary was becoming frantic. As the couple entered the stable, Mary felt a gush of warm liquid flowing down her legs, and she knew her membranes had ruptured. Gasping, Mary waited as Joseph lit an oil lamp and spread cloths on the cleanest part of the floor so she could lie down. Although Mary was young, she had watched many women give birth back in the village and now she was the one who had to instruct Joseph. Mary could feel the pains getting stronger and closer together.
“Joseph,” Mary moaned, “the baby is about to come. Do you have string to tie the cord? Do you have a knife? And do you have any cloths laid out?”
“Yes, yes, and yes,” Joseph replied. “I might be a man, but your mother warned me I might have to become a midwife. And I have cloths laid out on this manger; it seems clean.”
“That’s …..fine!” Mary grunted as the pains intensified.
“Yahweh, help us!” cried Joseph.
Suddenly, Mary screamed, “Joseph!” Mary’s body stiffened as she gave first one giant push and then a second one. After that last push, Mary felt relief; meanwhile, Joseph was busy laying the baby on a cloth, wiping its nose and mouth, and swatting it on the bottom.
“Come on, you, breathe!” Joseph muttered as he worked on the baby. And the baby responded by crying loudly. Joseph tied the umbilical cord and cut it, then swiftly wiped the baby down, wrapping it firmly in the swaddling cloths and laying it in the stone feed trough near Mary.
Turning to Mary, Joseph was shocked at the blood that was flowing, but then the afterbirth came out, and the bleeding stopped. Joseph helped Mary clean herself up and then the two of them began admiring the baby.
I can sympathize with Joseph. As a doctor in a remote rural area, I have delivered babies in all sorts of places. One lady was on her way to the hospital but had to stop two miles out and lie down under a tree. Someone brought word and we arrived just in time for me to catch the baby. Another lady was walking to our maternity ward when she squatted; I saw her just in time to sprint to her side and collect the baby without gloves or any protective clothing whatsoever. And then there was the night when I was at our Children’s Ward, only for a ten-year-old boy to run in, shouting that a lady wanted to deliver outside. Again, I found myself shoving a rubber apron under the lady’s bottom just in time to catch the baby. Alone in the dark, 20 meters from the Children’s Ward, I pinched the umbilical cord with my fingers and shouted for help. Thankfully, someone called a midwife, who came with all the necessary equipment.
We view Nativity scenes, forgetting the sheer terror of the young couple. These tableaus are sanitized for public consumption; meanwhile, things began with a young mother and her husband delivering a baby by themselves. Although some people have theorized that surely a woman-perhaps the inn keeper’s wife-might have assisted, I doubt it. That night in Bethlehem was sheer chaos, and the innkeeper’s wife was probably tied up feeding people and directing servants.
And then there’s the blood. Depending on where the placenta attaches and how deeply it attaches to the uterus, all kinds of problems can occur, any one of them leading to catastrophic hemorrhage. Although God in His infinite mercy allowed Mary’s placenta to attach and detach normally, she still would have bled. So Mary shed her blood for her son Jesus long before he would shed his blood for the sins of the world.
During the pregnancy, Mary and Joseph had been tried in the court of public opinion in Nazareth and had become an object of scorn and ridicule. According to custom, the young couple should not have had sex until after they had gone through the marriage ceremony, having spent the betrothal year simply preparing. In a small town, nobody would have believed Mary’s story about an angel or the Holy Ghost impregnating her. And now they were in Bethlehem, where Joseph’s family came from originally. If Joseph had any relatives left in Bethlehem, they were already tied up with other relatives. And then there was the scandal of Mary’s pregnancy. No, far better to let Mary and Joseph find their own place to stay.
The sacrifices of reputation, comfort, health, and safety are an important part of the Christmas story. So is the blood that Mary shed soaking whatever cloth she laid on. Good things always cost. Great things cost a great deal. Joseph and Mary gave everything they had to bring Jesus into the world. And when Jesus became a man, he returned that favor by dying for the sins of all of us. May God bless all of us as we celebrate the unspeakable gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we have no words sufficient to praise You for the gifts You have given us! Your love, Your mercy, Your forgiveness, and eternal life. Forgive our sins and help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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