This month, I wanted us to spend some time thinking of the circumstances of God’s entrance into the world as our Lord Jesus Christ. A good friend of mine, Rev. Stephen Simons, has this to say about how He really came into the world, and some of the common misconceptions about His early life.
Was Jesus Born in a Stable?
By Rev. Stephen R. SimonsThe Greek word katavluma is the key. We know the story well of Joseph and Mary coming to Bethlehem and being turned away from the “inn” (katavluma) so that when the baby Jesus was born He was laid in a manger and not in a bed fit for a king. A tradition rising early on in the Christian church, in fact, has Jesus born in a cave in the hill country surrounding Bethlehem for just this reason! But here is the catch, why doesn’t the Gospel of Luke (the primary story teller of the birth of the Christ) mention an innkeeper? There are two words in the Greek of the New Testament that are translated as “inn.” The first is pandocei’on (pronounced “Pandocheion”) which occurs once in the New Testament in the parable of the good samaritan in the Gospel of Luke. “And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” (Luke 10:34) pandocei’on literally means “an inn, a public house for the reception of strangers”. However, this is not the word used in the Gospel account of the birth of the Messiah. “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 in the inn.” (Luke 2:7) In this verse, the word used is katavluma (pronounced “Kataluma”). katavluma is only used three times in the New Testament, once in the Christmas story and once in the accounts of the Last Supper recorded in the Gospels of Mark and Luke. “And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where shall I eat the passover with my disciples?” (Mark 14:14)
“And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?” (Luke 22:11) In Luke’s account of the Last Supper we discover the definition of katavluma “And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.” (Luke 22:12) The katavluma in which there was no room for Mary, Joseph, and the baby was most likely the large upper room furnished as a guestchamber which would have been a part of whatever relative’s home Mary and Joseph were staying at in Bethlehem. The Gospel account gives no explanation for why this room was unavailable for the birth, but it was likely because some older relatives took precedent over the young couple as Bethlehem was overflowing with people at that time. So how is it that Jesus was laid in a manger when He was born? The Associates for Biblical Research explain this,
“Mangers are animal feeding troughs, and barns or caves are where one would expect to find them. But in the ancient world, as well as in primitive modern cultures, mangers are also found within the house itself. Animals are regularly kept in homes at night. A small number of flock animals were housed not in attached exterior sheds, but inside the house in one of the ground floor rooms. Here, animals, tools and agricultural produce were stored. Here too, food was prepared and possibly consumed. Family sleeping quarters were on the second floor (an upper room). By being inside, the animals were protected from the elements and theft. In addition, their presence provided body heat for cool nights, access to milk for the daily meal and dung as a critical fuel source. Excavations in Israel have uncovered numerous installations within domestic structures which probably represent ancient mangers. Some are carved, but most are stone built. Wooden mangers, of course, have not survived in the archaeological record.”
From all of this we can see that it is far more likely that Joseph and Mary were staying with relatives who could not offer them the guest room, than that some innkeeper threw them out into the street, leaving them to find a stable, barn, or cave to stay in. This also explains why the wisemen found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in a house and not a cave when they followed the star to Bethlehem. “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)
Why is it so significant that Jesus was not “thrown into the street?” So often in Christianity, we’ve made the Lord the “champion of the lower class.” What these facts point to in my mind is that He was (and is) the “champion of the human race” regardless of class, social standing, reputation, or rank – or any other term us human beings like to use to “distinguish ourselves” from other members of our family. Just as the Church’s constant endeavor is to lead people to develop their relationships with each other as members of God’s family, the Lord’s continual goal is to help us recognize that each of us has a spiritual life. Each of us has a role to play in helping each other understand what it means to put off selfish and worldly goals, and put on the loves of God and heaven in their place. That’s what we’re here to do, and that’s what we celebrate at Christmas; that we can “be the church” to each other. This is the Advent of our Lord into our hearts, which is the descent of heaven. Merry Christmas. May you recognize the love of the Lord God Jesus Christ as it is reflected in you and everyone in His family. This is what the angels most wanted the world to hear when they said:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace. Good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)
With Love,
Pastor Ethan
