The cost of Christmas

 The birth of Jesus was a shocking event.

Mary, a beautiful virgin betrothed to Joseph, was found to be pregnant before they married. This would have been a major scandal in small town Nazareth. It is hard to realise today just how shameful and disgraceful it was in that culture to be an unmarried mother. 

However the criticism would not just have been reserved for Mary but also for her parents. People would have thought her parents had not brought her up correctly nor had they watched over her. I expect Mum and Dad were hugely disappointed in their daughter. They would have hoped she knew better. Her parents would have greeted with great suspicion the story that she was still a virgin and that this baby was conceived by the Holy Ghost. It was certainly not something to share with the neighbours. That would have added ridicule to condemnation. 

Joseph was also no doubt sceptical about tales of an immaculate conception. In fact he was mindful to divorce Mary quietly to avoid further public humiliation for her until the intervention of the angel. Having confirmed that this baby was indeed conceived by God, Joseph being righteous, married her. This would not have stopped the wagging tongues though. It would just have pulled Joseph into the public disgrace as everyone would have assumed the baby was his. 

Four people would now have been criticised and suffered public humiliation even though no one had done anything wrong. In fact they had been selected for the highest honour of all - being parents and grandparents to the Son of God. Who would believe that? 

I wonder if as Mary and Joseph discussed the upcoming birth they deliberated if they would have to go to Bethlehem. After all that is where the Scriptures said the Messiah would be born. It doesn’t appear so because it took the intervention of an ungodly Roman Emperor to get them to the right place at the right time. They left for the weeklong journey to Bethlehem when Mary was almost full term, not recommended in any culture, let alone one with modest health care facilities. 

I am sure Mary and Joseph were optimistic that God would provide somewhere suitable for the baby to be born. If nothing else, they must have both had extended family in Bethlehem. Perhaps there was no room anywhere because news of the pregnancy outside marriage had gone before them? We can only imagine the disappointment turning to despair when all they were offered was a stable. 

So Mary gave birth to her precious first born, the Son of God, in a stable with the animals. Under any circumstances that is shocking. 

I think it is all too easy to romanticise and sanitise the Christmas story as we lustily sing our favourite Christmas carols. However it is good to remember how much it cost the key players to fulfil their destiny so that God could become Man and live amongst us. 

Today there are many, many Christians suffering for their faith all over the world. For many becoming a Christian can mean being ostracised by their family or even society, losing jobs or access to good education. Just like Mary all those years ago, too many Christians today are treated shockingly. Let’s remember and pray for them as we celebrate again the wonderful Christmas story.