Devotional 12-18-10

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.   Luke 2: 4-6

The movie The Nativity Story came out in 2006. I am generally skeptical when Hollywood does religious topics and actually didn't see the movie till the following year when it was on TV. To my surprise, I mostly thought it was well done.

One particular scene isn't Biblical but made quite an impression on me. Joseph and Mary have packed their things and are heading out of Nazareth. The locals on the street are pointing and whispering. You and I can certainly imagine what they were saying: "That's Joseph, he could have married any girl in the village but he chose Mary, who's pregnant and not with his baby!" "Look at them, acting like the happily married couple when we all know what's going on." "Can you believe she claims she was never with another man? Please!" At this point Mary and Joseph share a glance, and he smiles and reassures her saying, "We're going to be missed." She responds with a simple smile and a nod, and they go on their way.

I love that scene because Joseph and Mary come off as real people, living in the real world and dealing with real problems. They do not look like the Christmas card Holy Family, where Mary looks like she just stepped out of a beauty salon and Joseph is calm and serene. In the movie, Mary was played by 16-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes. She had tattered clothes and tangled hair and dirty fingernails. She looked real.

I fear that we have heard the Nativity story so many times that in our minds Mary and Joseph are like fairy tale characters. We forget that these were real people who never would have believed we would still be talking about them all these years later. The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is 70 miles. I'm sure no mother reading this would have wanted to ride a donkey for 70 miles while pregnant! Joseph was walking and this was before fancy walking shoes. Although real, Mary and Joseph were chosen by God, and they trusted in Him as they took this journey.

This year, as you're looking though your Christmas cards and notice that Mary's clothes are clean and pressed and Joseph's beard is neatly trimmed, remember that these were real people, who had just made a 70-mile journey on foot and donkey and frantically raced to find a place for the baby to be born.
Throughout history, God has worked through real people. Today, God continues to work through real people. You are a real person--think about it.
Anita Gardner Farrell