TGBC, Tuesday, Feb 13, Luke 2:1-21
The Good Book Club
TUESDAY, February 13 Luke 2:1-21
Luke 2:1-21 Authorized (King James) Version
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them ἐν τῷ καταλύματι.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Tuesday for Thought. The above clipart: I love the subtly glaring poignancy of The Cross towering in the background, Mary’s blue. I can even live with the newborn babe sitting up with an almost adult head and face, bestowing a blessing, by tradition probably making the sign of the cross. + For Luke’s nativity narrative, I love the King James Version, which is presented above; to me, any other translation is distressingly distracting from the holiness of “O Holy Night” and "Silent Night, Holy Night," not to mention "O Little Town of Bethlehem" sung to the proper tune.
+ Luke’s story is greatly different from Matthew’s nativity narrative, (why is that?) while Mark and John have no birth story at all (why is that?) + Unfortunately (but we like it) we so blend Luke & Matthew at Christmas time that we actually have a “third gospel” story mixing Luke’s shepherds and sheep at a stable with Matthew’s wise men, kings, with their crowns, elegant robes and gifts, and Matthew’s “Star of Bethlehem” shining over Luke’s stable (which is our imagination, Luke mentions no stable). Do our cultural discrepancies matter to you?
+ Luke’s story is greatly different from Matthew’s nativity narrative, (why is that?) while Mark and John have no birth story at all (why is that?) + Unfortunately (but we like it) we so blend Luke & Matthew at Christmas time that we actually have a “third gospel” story mixing Luke’s shepherds and sheep at a stable with Matthew’s wise men, kings, with their crowns, elegant robes and gifts, and Matthew’s “Star of Bethlehem” shining over Luke’s stable (which is our imagination, Luke mentions no stable). Do our cultural discrepancies matter to you?
+ Mary is near-term pregnant as she and Joseph travel south from Galilee to Bethlehem: how do you suppose they traveled — Luke says nothing about Mary riding on a donkey, as we generally picture it. + Mary names him "Jesus" as ordered by the angel: what’s with this, happens both with John the Baptist and now with Jesus, of somebody telling you what to name your baby?
+ As for the phrase (2:7) “there was no room for them ἐν τῷ καταλύματι” - - katalumati (καταλύματι) is dative, the nominative is κατάλυμα (kataluma), used three times in the NT: here Luke 2:7 usually translated "inn" but also Mark 14:14 and Luke 22:11 where it is translated “guest room” or “guest chamber.” Luke’s Greek word for “inn” (10:34) where the Good Samaritan takes the wounded man is not kataluma but πανδοχεῖον (pandokeon), so where they stayed in Bethlehem likely was not an inn as we visualize, but a guest room in a private residence, the Kataluma, for privacy, separated from the rest of the space on that level, by a cloth or skin.
And again, Luke, whose story it is, says nothing about a stable. Without getting into “what actually happened,” which is lost to history or heilsgeschichte holy history, Luke seems to say the little guest room up the steps on the living level was already being used, so our little Holy Family were hospitably but humbly put up downstairs on the ground level with the animals (which for their safety were brought inside at night and secured from outside predators by a door or gate, and where the only “furniture” would have been the stone manger, a feeding trough for the animals).
+ As for the phrase (2:7) “there was no room for them ἐν τῷ καταλύματι” - - katalumati (καταλύματι) is dative, the nominative is κατάλυμα (kataluma), used three times in the NT: here Luke 2:7 usually translated "inn" but also Mark 14:14 and Luke 22:11 where it is translated “guest room” or “guest chamber.” Luke’s Greek word for “inn” (10:34) where the Good Samaritan takes the wounded man is not kataluma but πανδοχεῖον (pandokeon), so where they stayed in Bethlehem likely was not an inn as we visualize, but a guest room in a private residence, the Kataluma, for privacy, separated from the rest of the space on that level, by a cloth or skin.
And again, Luke, whose story it is, says nothing about a stable. Without getting into “what actually happened,” which is lost to history or heilsgeschichte holy history, Luke seems to say the little guest room up the steps on the living level was already being used, so our little Holy Family were hospitably but humbly put up downstairs on the ground level with the animals (which for their safety were brought inside at night and secured from outside predators by a door or gate, and where the only “furniture” would have been the stone manger, a feeding trough for the animals).
+ Try to visualize the nativity scene as Luke did, without the stable, just a regular little 1st century Palestinian house on two levels (they likely also had access to the roof, so three levels); and in Bethlehem, a village too small to have a hotel (inn), so Mary & Joseph went to stay with friends or relatives, but other visitors were already there so they stayed in the lower space with the animals.
+ Why do we celebrate Christmas during winter, instead of spring when it would have been more likely for shepherds to be in the fields, keeping watch …” as Luke describes it? + And who are you as you visualize yourself in this story? Mary? Joseph? Angel? Shepherd? the friend or relative who so kindly puts them up? Or, not at all to be facetious, perhaps the proverbial fly on the wall? What would you give to have been there?!
+ Why do we celebrate Christmas during winter, instead of spring when it would have been more likely for shepherds to be in the fields, keeping watch …” as Luke describes it? + And who are you as you visualize yourself in this story? Mary? Joseph? Angel? Shepherd? the friend or relative who so kindly puts them up? Or, not at all to be facetious, perhaps the proverbial fly on the wall? What would you give to have been there?!