No Place to Belong (Luke 2:1-7)

Most of us know what being an outcast feels like. There has been some time in all of our lives when we didn't fit in some place where we should have been welcomed. Maybe it was in middle or high school? Or at work? Or in your family? Or - like Mary and Joseph - in a religous community?  Even in church?

Luke 2:1-7 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵ He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Joseph's family was from Bethlehem.  He had family (even if distant relatives) who he should have been able to stay with in Bethlehem.  And yet, not one of them could arrange to house Mary who is nine months pregnant? 

Let me put it this way, when your family shows up for Christmas and there is someone in the bunch who is obviously going to give birth in a few days, don't you give them a warm comfortable place to sleep and rest? Don't you pamper them? Even if you and others are forced to sleep on the floor? Of course, you would.  And middle eastern culture was no different.

I also wonder why Mary even traveled with Joseph to Bethlehem.  Not everyone had to make the journey.  If you were old or sick or 9 months pregnant, certainly your family could register for you.  I believe she went with Joseph because she was an outcast back at home too.  And she didn't want to give birth if he wasn't there to care for her. So rather than stay at home, she went with him.

The normal generous middle eastern hospitality is not available for Joseph and Mary. Or for the Messiah. They don't belong in polite society.  They don't fit in.  Joseph and Mary were outcasts because Mary was pregnant before she was married.  Society doesn't understand.  The best religious people of the day think that treating them as outcasts is the proper thing to do in order to stay right with God themselves.

Of course, we know all this happened to fulfil the ancient prophesy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  But how must it have felt to be treated this way?  No doubt it was confusing.  Had they done the right thing?  Made the right choices?  No doubt they were hurting.  And yet, God has given them each other.

Jesus and his parents know first hand what it is like to have no place where you are wanted or accepted.  If we embrace Jesus in our lives, there will almost certainly come a time when we don't fit in either.  In times like this, stand firm and do God's work anyway!

Someone once said, "God doesn't call us to be popular, God calls us to be faithful."  I think it applies.