Holidays

---

Another testimony from a barn: something about mangers

Merry Christmas ! That's right. If you know anything about sheep you know that lambing happens in the Spring, around April. That's why the shepherds were in the fields when the angels scared them out of their wits on one very important night. It was a little chilly in the hills of Judea, enough to make you wrap yourself tight in your robe and mantle and pull your head-covering down a little tighter while you waited to stand your watch. That's when it happened. Probably started a stampede (at least as much as sheep stampede). The shepherds were told to follow the star they had been keeping an awestruck eye on to where they would find a newborn child Who was the Messiah promised to their fathers and their fathers' fathers. Choosing by lots, who would stay behind to watch over the sheep, they set out to follow their own pillar of fire, like their ancestors did when Moses led them to this land.

No room at the inn, actually not much of an inn. Mary and Joseph had traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem in a large caravan. In the first century there were no police, militia, state patrol or Texas Rangers to keep the roads open and safe. Robbers, brigands and murderers thrived on lone travelers and no one traveled alone or even in small groups. The more the better. The caravans included a number of strong lads, probably with swords and spears to keep peace and provide a deterrent to outlaws. The caravan would travel and then stop at the caravansary, a walled enclosure where safety and security were more practical. A well, places to pitch tents and set cooking fires and keep the whole company together were the chief attraction. The owner had a house, and perhaps some floor space for the more influential, maybe officials of Herod, Temple priests, maybe some of Herod's family (those who managed to survive the king's murderous jealousies). But almost everyone camped inside the walls. Their animals, camels, donkeys, asses, even horses for those well to do-es, were watered and foraged. The owner most likely had a shelter for his milk cow, sheep or other domestics. This area was rich with caves that could be enlarged because of the soft stone. These shelters were to get the animals out of the weather. Here we have our manger.

No room at the inn, no rooms period. But Mary was close to delivering her first born. Hebrew rules about purification from presence at death and birth are very specific. The purification period is set as well as the necessary offerings. There was no place set aside for a birth, at least one that would provide the required ceremonial separation from those who would need purification. That's where the shelter became important to the story. It was set aside, removed the mother from the rest of the population and would observe the precepts.

Anyone who has worked barns in early spring or late winter knows that all that talk about how it was warm because of the animals breath is no way close to being true (unless the caravansary owner had a John Wayne size herd in there), it was pretty cold. At least the air temperature was. The hearts of Mary, Joseph and the newborn were full of the moment when the Word became flesh and chose to dwell among us.

The shepherds arrived and were probably concerned about purification, but the fact that they had never seen an angel before, much less a whole tribe of them ordering them to follow the star to where the Promised One was, helped them overcome their hesitation. Being smelly, dirty, low-class shepherds finally had its advantage. Purification could wait, and besides some of the sheep hadn't had their lambs yet anyway. So, there they were, guests of honor at an event promised years ago, and here He was. A newborn, sleeping in his young mother's arms. His father standing nearby, a look of wonder on his face.
It was all pretty overwhelming. It was really happening, angels had touched earth and men, Emmanuel was here. All of it in a place intended to keep dimwitted sheep out of the rain. You just never know what can happen when you go out to check your flock.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE