THE JOURNEY

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

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.

Luke 2:1-5

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever wondered why things happened in your life the way they did?

We certainly find ourselves doing this in the moment, or at least I have. And often, I don’t fully understand why my circumstances took me down the path I traveled until after I have gotten to the end, until my journey was complete. It’s only then that we realize how the Lord has been moving me toward the place He wants me to be, having achieved the purpose He prescribed.

As we are on the brink of Christmas, I found myself wondering about Joseph and Mary, and the sequence of events that took them from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Go back to the angel Gabriel. He told Mary she would conceive by way of the Holy Spirit and give birth to a son she would name Jesus (Luke 1:26-38) but he failed to mention at the time that she would have to travel around 90 miles across four days and through difficult terrain just to deliver her baby. It was going to be a journey.

Gabriel also went to Joseph who was alarmed that Mary, his betrothed, had become pregnant and he knew he hadn’t been the one responsible. The angel also told Joseph that the child Mary was carrying was from the Holy Spirit and so there was no need to be afraid (Matthew 1:18-25). What he left out was that a call for a census would come at the worst possible time, right before his son would be born. That call would cause him to head to his ancestral home, Bethlehem, since he was from the line of David. A journey was ahead for Joseph.

Well, what Gabriel failed to bring up happened. The Emperor of the Roman Empire, Caesar Augustus issues a decree that launched a census across the entire empire. Everyone was required to go to their own town to register and as mentioned, Joseph was from the line of David so he needed to go to the city of David which was Bethlehem. Bethlehem was located in the Israelite region of Judea which was within the Syrian region of the Roman Empire and the scriptures tell us that Quirinius was the appointed governor of that region at the time of the census.

And so Joseph and Mary set out on their journey. They knew Mary was far along in her pregnancy but still they traveled in compliance with the order from Caesar Augustus. Nazareth was in a low lying area of Galilee. There was little to no elevation but the same couldn’t be said for where they were heading. Judea was chocked full of mountainous areas and so the young couple would be heading up from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

It was a journey steeped in obligation, answering the call of the Roman Emperor, but it also was a trip grounded in faith as both Joseph and Mary were faithful God believers. The way ahead looked treacherous and uncertain but they knew God was with them and so they placed their trust in Him. Neither knew what would happen along the way to their destination nor what might happen once they reached Bethlehem but nonetheless, they journeyed.

We can learn a great deal from Jesus’ wonderful parents. For God will set our feet onto many different journeys in life, journeys that look fraught with uncertainty and possible peril. We may feel like we want to just put it in park and not step out on faith, allowing our fear to define our future.

When this happens, I think we would be well served to go back to those days right before Jesus was born and a young couple from Nazareth who decided to go on a journey together, despite the odds. Because they trusted God, our Savior was born, bringing us the opportunity for eternal life and hope.

Why does God have you on your present journey?

The only way to find out is to travel it with Him by your side and allow Him to show you.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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