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Page 26 Merry Christmas! December 2021

Luke 2:7

Luke 2:7: "And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

The image of baby Jesus laid in a manger in a stable has been used to promote the typical Christmas nativity scene for generations. Originally, the New Testament was written in Greek and the Greek word, kataluma, actually means a place of rest, as in a 'guest room.' The same Greek word was used in Luke 22:11, where Jesus said to His disciples, "Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room {kataluma] where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?""

The Arabic and Syriac versions of the New Testament have never translated kataluma as meaning an 'inn,' but instead as a 'guest room.' The translation of this Greek word as an

'The Nativity'

'inn' is a product of our Western heritage. We have to keep in mind that even inns of Jesus' time often did not have individual rooms. They were far from anything like typical motels we have today. And because inns usually were found along major roads for commercial reasons,

it's doubtful that an inn even existed in a small town such as Bethlehem. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus mentions that the injured man in the story was taken to an 'inn,' using the Greek word, pandokheion, the normal word for an 'inn.' The Semitic spirit of hospitality led the Jews and early Christians to keep an open house for the benefit of strangers. In Christ's day, hospitality was essential; denial of hospitality was an outrage. Even today, hospitality toward visitors is still important throughout the Middle East. Joseph would have been returning to his ancestral home for the census. He probably had

relatives there, and being a descendant of King David, he would have been highly respected upon his arrival. Luke 2:4-6 reads: "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. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born." Mary and Joseph must have already been lodging somewhere in Bethlehem when her birth pangs began. More than likely, they found a house in which to stay in Bethlehem, probably that of Joseph's relatives. And a manger could very well have been found within a first-century home. A typical Judean house of that day consisted of an area near the door, often with a dirt floor, where the family's animals were kept at night so that they wouldn't be stolen and they would also be kept warm. The family lived and slept in a raised part of the same room set back from the door. There was usually a guest room, either upstairs on a second floor or adjoining the family common room on the lower floor. Typically, the lower area near the door had a manger for food and water for the animals. This scene of an ox or donkey in the house at night might

go against our Western ideals, yet it is us in the West who have decided that life with these great gentle beasts is culturally unacceptable. The raised terrace, where the family ate, slept and lived, was not soiled by the animals, which were taken out each day and during that time, the lower level was cleaned. According to Eric F.F. Bishop, an expert in Middle East culture, the birth of Christ probably took place in one of the Bethlehem houses with the lower section provided for the animals, with immovable mangers filled with crush straw, serving well as a cradle. Considering all the women who would be going in and out of the room during the birth, there probably wouldn't have been enough room in the guest room; it would only make sense to move Mary into the main room for all the activity at birth. Another authority on Middle Eastern life, Gustaf Dalmann, stated that the dwelling place of man and beast is often in one and the same room. It is quite normal among peasants for the family to live, eat and sleep in the one room of the house, while the cattle, particularly donkeys and oxen, have their place below on the actual floor, near the door. On this floor the mangers are fixed, either to the floor, or to the wall. This translation now gives us a better understanding to the story of Jesus' birth. It is more realistic to view Christ's birth of that in a manger, in a house, and not in a stable. Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem. They find shelter with a family whose separate guest room is full, and are accommodated amongst the family in acceptable village style. The birth takes place there on the raised terrace of the family home, and the baby is laid in a manger. Another interesting point is the announcement of the birth of the Savior to the shepherds. As men of lower ranks in society, the shepherds may not have felt they would be received well in visiting a king, but the angel told them they would find the Christ child lying in a manger. Upon arriving, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child, and when they left, they left praising God for all they had heard and seen. Obviously, they found the holy family in perfectly acceptable accommodations.

Even though Jesus was conceived of God the Father through the Holy Spirit, His birth was a typical birth for the common man of His day. Begotten by God, He truly came as one of us. The Bethlehem shepherds and the City of David welcomed Him with great joy and the village community provided for Him. He was born among them, surrounded by helping hands and caring people.

Merry Christmas! Page 27

The Nativity

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.