Luke Chapter 2

Luke Chapter 2

Caesar Augustus decreed that the entire world should be taxed.  Cyrenius the governor of Syria was the first to do this taxing.   So everyone went to their own city to be taxed. Joseph takes his very pregnant wife went to be taxed.  So Joe goes from Nazareth in Galilee into Judaea to Bethlehem (the city of David) because he was from the house of David.  And here’s where we get the Christmas carol version of things!  While they were in Bethlehem Mary had the baby.  She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him the manger there was not room for them in the inn.  

Oh and here’s the part that Linus tells in a Charlie Brown Christmas special!  It’s almost impossible for me to not hear it in little Linus’s voice.  There were shepherds watching their flocks that night, and lo the angel of the Lord, came to them and they were terrified.  But the angel told them not to be afraid, because he brought them really good news for everyone.  Today in the city of David, a Savior was born, he’s Christ the Lord.  You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  Suddenly there were a lot of angels praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Once the angels went back to the heavens, the shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem to see the baby.  They went quickly and Mary, Jo and the baby in the manger.   When they saw the baby, they told everyone.   And everyone heard the shepherds talking about the savior that has been born.  The people who heard the shepherd were struck with wonder.  Mary kept all these things held them in her heart.  Aww… Mary loves her baby!  The shepherds returned praising God for the things they have seen.

After eight days they circumcised the baby and called him JESUS (all in capital letters).  And then Luke reminds us the angel told them to call him JESUS. Once the days of days of Mary’s purification (according to the law of Moses) were over, they brought the baby to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, because according to law or the Lord, Every male that opens the womb is holy to the Lord.  I’m not sure what the purification ritual involves.  But I’m so glad that Every male is so important to the lord.  Why didn’t he have one of the those men get pregnant and have his son?  Oh right they can’t.

Anyway off to temple to kill a pair of turtledoves or young pigeons, according to the law of the Lord.  In Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon who was devout, who was filled with the Holy Ghost, who revealed to him that he would not see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he went to the temple just as Joe and Mary brought JC to present him to the Lord.  Simeon picks up JC and blesses God, saying Lord I can die in peace now, because I’ve seen your salvation which you made for all of us, a light for the Gentiles and the glory of your people of Israel.  Joe and Mary marveled at that.  Simeon blessed them, and told Mary, that this child is set for the fall and rise at of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against, a sword will pierce through your own soul too, and the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.  Um thanks Simeon, that’s a really awesome nice thing to say about our baby, could youstep aside so we can kill these birds in God’s honor.

Then there was Phanuel’s daughter Anna, a prophetess (Ooo is this a girl who’s sole purpose in this world isn’t to bear a child?) who was old.  She’d lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, (Wow we get her sexual history!)  and she had been a  widow of about 84 years, (How old is she? I mean she has to be at least 91 year old just based on those numbers and let’s hope she didn’t lose her virginity before, say 13, which puts her at about 104) anyway, she lived at the temple serving god with fasting and praying night and day.  So this prophetess, that we just spent so much time learning about, she instantly gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him, to everyone who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.   Wow that was a lot of info for a tiny supporting role. 

Luke loves to give us great detail with many words.  So many words…

Once they family had fulfilled their obligations to the Lord, they returned to Nazareth.  JC grew strong in spirit, and wise, and full of the grace of God. When JC was twelve, they went to Jerusalem for Passover like they did very year.  When Passover was over they went home, but JC dawdled behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing about it.  They thought that he was with them, when they couldn’t find him they asked their friends and relatives if anyone had seen him.  When no one had they went back to Jerusalem.  They found him sitting in the temple, in the middle of the doctors, listening and asking them questions.  Everyone who heard him was astonished by his understanding and answers.  When his folks heard him they were amazed.    Mary told him that they had been worried about him, why did he do that?  JC was a bit of a punk here.  He asked mom, why did you come for me?  Why didn’t you know that I must be doing my father’s work?  They had no idea what he was talking about.  Although shouldn’t they have kind of known what he was talking about, with the hoopla of his birth and all?  But he went back to Nazareth with them.  And Mary took what he said to heart.  JC grew older and wiser and was in favor with both God and man.