Thoughts for the Day

Luke 2:6-7 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

All is set.  All is in place.  By force of circumstances – so it seems – Mary and Joseph are in Bethlehem, and Jesus will be born here.  Symbolically, the everlasting king will be born in the birthplace of David, the place of his anointing as king, and in accordance with the scriptures.  At some time (unclear) an unspecified number of Magi will arrive from an unspecified country in the East.  They will start asking around in Jerusalem for the whereabouts of a new-born king of the Jews whom they have come to worship, and in so doing cause an uncomfortable stir.  Interestingly they don’t initially go to king Herod, but he eventually sends secretly for them and directs them to Bethlehem with instructions to return and tell him what they find, lying as to why he wants to know.

By way of perspective, I discover that Herod was renowned for his colossal building projects, notably rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem but a great deal more besides including a palace in Jerusalem – presumably where he met the Magi – and a palace/fortress about 10 miles south, the site of which is now the Herodion National Park.  Bethlehem lies between the two, only 3 miles from the latter.  Even today its ruins are clearly visible from Bethlehem.  They sit on a natural hill, but the hill was not impressive enough for Herod, so he had it raised by as much as an extra third into a volcano-like mound.  And the palace/fortress on top was some 30m to 45m tall.  I picture the contrast. From the splendour and dominance of his palace on his personally-elevated hill, Herod looks out over the city of Bethlehem, his eyes fixed on the star in the sky, the heavenly portent of a greater king; troubled and threatened, he asks himself, “How can I stop this?”  Joseph and Mary in their simple surroundings shift their gaze between this imposing skyline and the baby beside them; they recall Gabriel’s declaration that God will give him the throne of his father David, and simply wonder “How will this be?”