Be Still And Know

Luke 2:6-7 'And while they were there in Bethlehem, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.' The birth of Jesus was such an incredibly important moment in the history of the world that the circumstances of it are deeply shocking. This was no way to welcome the Son of God. But all of this serves to remind us of the love of God in sending his son to be part of our broken and disordered world. Many people have questioned why Joseph took Mary on the journey to Bethlehem. He himself was obliged to go there because his family line came from that town, but it is unlikely that it was necessary for him to take Mary along with him. So why did he take his heavily pregnant wife along with him on the arduous 80-mile journey? It is quite likely that he did so because Joseph knew that the people of Nazareth might cause problems for Mary due to the unusual circumstances o