I’ll be home for the H̶o̶l̶i̶d̶a̶y̶s̶  Taxation. ♫

Luke Chapter 2

A decree went out that everyone should be registered, was it a tax grab? Most definitely, but it also must have been hard after the diaspora, Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, for the rebels (elohim) to keep track of all the pieces on the board. At this point in history, the silent years, they were still looking for the coming Messiah too, but not to welcome him.  What better way to find out where all King David's descendants were living then getting them all counted and located. 

Luke tells us that Joseph and Mary have gone to Bethlehem, but he skips the part of their hard conversation and what Joseph did after learning that Mary was pregnant while off visiting her relative Elizabeth. Mary’s incredible story of the messenger with the explanation of how she came to be with child and who the child would become didn't seem to convince him because it is written in Matthews gospel that Joseph decided to divorce her quietly. While Joseph was trying to formulate a divorce plan that would be discrete an angel appeared to him while he was dreaming and explained the situation and Joseph believed the messenger. As soon as he awoke he obeyed the message and took Mary as his wife. Mary’s obedience to GOD’s call is very awe inspiring she had a direct bodily visit from GOD’s messenger and obeyed, but Joseph’s came in the form of a dream. His obedience to GOD’s call makes me think of the holiday story from Charles Dickens. Scrooge says to the ghost of his partner - “You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!” Scrooge questions his senses, but Joseph doesn't skip a beat, as soon as he woke up he obeyed. I think this is one of many reasons why they were chosen as the parents.

At the time of this decree, Joseph was evidently far enough removed from family and friends in the city of his heritage that the only place they could think of to stay for a night was an Inn. History tells us how well that worked out for them, but this humbling layover was all part of GOD’s plan. On the night the Lamb of GOD was born I can just imagine the last place angels, the heavenly host, or even Mary and Joseph would have thought that this baby would be born was a stable. Not just a stable, but lain swaddled in a feeding trough for a bed, how strange. There was a song written and released by the group 4Him in 1993 called  A Strange Way To Save The World. Part of the lyrics written are as follows -

I'm sure he must have been surprised

At where this road had taken him

'Cause never in a million lives

Would he have dreamed of Bethlehem

And standing at the manger

He saw with his own eyes

The message from the angel come to life

And Joseph said

Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade?

Why Him with all the rulers in the world?

Why here inside this stable filled with hay?

Why her, she's just an ordinary girl?

Now I'm not one to second guess

What angels have to say

But this is such a strange way

To save the world

Strange indeed, but just as strange is messengers sent to Shepherds living out in the fields nearby watching over their flocks by night. Why these shepherds and why the announcement?  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” The rebels were probably wondering how this small little son of Adam could be a threat to them. We are told after the shepherds came and saw the baby they left glorifying and praising GOD for all the things they heard and seen. Luke tells us in verse nineteen that Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart, which is where Luke may have received the account of this part of the story.

Don't let this holiday season tax you instead be encouraged. It’s not about the time or day, but a remembrance of just how far GOD was willing to go in the incarnation to reach out to you and me. Be like Mary and ponder this in your heart, the greatest gift given was not at the birth, but on the cross. You can’t have the cross without the manger and you cannot have the manger without the cross. 

It is definitely a strange way to save the world.