While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:6-7)
Why Bethlehem? We take this beautiful story quite for granted. But have you ever really thought, “Why Bethlehem?”
One of my little fantasies is that Luke the evangelist spent some quality time with Mary before he wrote his gospel. It’s possible – most historians would agree that Mary was probably young, no more than 16, when Jesus was born. If Luke wrote his gospel in the 70’s, that would make Mary an elderly lady, maybe early 80’s, but still conceivable. There are so many wonderful details in his narrative: the trip to Bethlehem, the star, the angels, the shepherds, the manger. I can just hear Luke asking Mary this question, “Why did you go to Bethlehem? You’re from Nazareth – why did you go to Bethlehem?” Mary replies, “Oh, it was some government thing – Joseph said we had to go.” So Luke gives us this census idea, which sounds good, but there is no historical evidence that it ever happened as Luke describes it.
But wait a minute. Wasn’t there a prophecy? Yes, the book of Micah, which says: “But you, Bethlehem, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel…” (Mi 5:1) So did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem to fulfill the prophecy? Hmm, seems a bit implausible. You can hear Joseph, “Mary, I was reading Micah. We’re in the wrong place! We have to go to Bethlehem!” Mary replies, “Are you nuts?” So whether a census, or “some government thing,” let’s distill it down to a likely reality: they went to Bethlehem because they had to go. Why else would a woman in her eighth month of pregnancy travel? This is totally outside of Mary’s comfort zone – and she was already facing terrible uncertainty about this child she was carrying. She is young, most certainly frightened for her child’s safety, and uncomfortable physically. Mary and Joseph are not in control here.
So why would God do this to them? Ahh, it’s not God doing this, it’s life. Life has a knack of taking us out of our comfort zone, in small ways and big ways. Life is natural disasters. Life is slipping on a step and breaking an arm. Life is a lost job. Life is a serious illness. Life is the loss of a spouse. Life is a whole sequence of challenges and sufferings and questions. Life is having to go to Bethlehem when you’re ready to give birth. Life is finding no place to stay, the 5-star Hilton filled up, the 1-star barn a welcome sight. Life can be tough.
But now, as we look just a little bit closer at Luke’s gospel, the theology, the deeper meaning is made apparent. In the midst of this out-of-control experience, the Bethlehem valley in Mary’s life, Christ breaks through! Literally, fundamentally, Christ breaks through! A healthy baby boy is born. Is there anything more joyful than holding an infant in the first moments of life? Christ breaks through.
Isn’t that true for us too? God allows life to happen because it seems that sometimes we need to wake up. We have a hard time listening to God when things are going great. When things get tough, when we are no longer in control, God’s invitation to us for a relationship takes on added clarity and power. And when things are darkest on our journey – if we allow it to happen – Christ breaks through! And resurrection happens.
We call this cycle of dying and rising made holy the Paschal Mystery. It seems that something needs to die in order for something new to be born. Life is an endless cycle of these moments of opportunity, these little deaths. Jesus demonstrates through his life how to face these deaths – with humility, prayer, patience, and forgiveness. He never seeks scapegoats or plays the victim. He accepts the death, trusts in the Father, and is resurrected.
Why Bethlehem? From the moment of birth, Jesus was engaged in the Paschal Mystery, foreshadowing his life of ministry. From the moment of birth, Luke shows us that the cycle was true for the Holy Family just as it is true for us. It all leads to the cross. There is no other way. The Good News is that Jesus will accompany us on the journey if we let him break through. With his help, we can deal with anything, because we know it ends in resurrection.
So don’t fear Bethlehem. When our ultimate Bethlehem occurs on our death bed, and we let Jesus break through, you can bet angels will sing Hosanna for us too.