Advent Thought #23, December 23
I "stole" this from a friend on Facebook, but I think he was quoting someone.
"In recounting this part of the story (the census), Luke reminds us of several things. First, Palestine--the Holy Land--was at that time an occupied territory of the Roman Empire. The people within its borders were not free. They did what the Romans told them to do. Most were not Roman citizens. They had limited rights. They could be forced to serve Romans , and they certainly were required to pay Roman taxes. By telling us about the Roman census, Luke explains how Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth. At the same time, Luke helps us see Mary and Joseph as a poor couple who were forced to travel ten days, when she was nine months pregnant, out of fear of what would happen to them if they did not." from Adam Hamilton in "The Journey." As you prepare for Christmas, remember that the Holy Family was on an 80-mile, 10-day journey across difficult terrain with the no guarantees that the baby would wait to be born until they reached their final destination. A good reminder that whatever journey you are on, God is taking it with you.
"In recounting this part of the story (the census), Luke reminds us of several things. First, Palestine--the Holy Land--was at that time an occupied territory of the Roman Empire. The people within its borders were not free. They did what the Romans told them to do. Most were not Roman citizens. They had limited rights. They could be forced to serve Romans , and they certainly were required to pay Roman taxes. By telling us about the Roman census, Luke explains how Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem, not Nazareth. At the same time, Luke helps us see Mary and Joseph as a poor couple who were forced to travel ten days, when she was nine months pregnant, out of fear of what would happen to them if they did not." from Adam Hamilton in "The Journey." As you prepare for Christmas, remember that the Holy Family was on an 80-mile, 10-day journey across difficult terrain with the no guarantees that the baby would wait to be born until they reached their final destination. A good reminder that whatever journey you are on, God is taking it with you.
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