1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The top of the empire is far removed from the very bottom. Caesar's palace was the location for his decree, that all the world under his control should be registered. He's at the top of the tree, ruling with great power.
At the other end of the spectrum, a baby lies, not in a cot, but in a feeding trough, a manger. His mother and adopted father have journeyed the hundred miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, at the behest of Caesar. Poor pawns in the grand scheme of the empire. Yet this Joseph is the son of David, a once powerful line in the region. His great-grandfather (plus a few more greats) was king.
The baby, though, far outstrips the wealth, glory and majesty of Caesar. This is not just a baby. This is God's King, the King of Kings, to whom every knee will one day bow.
Appearances can be deceptive. The real power does not lie in Rome, but in a draughty stable. Bow before him in worship.
No comments:
Post a Comment