The journey of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem probably took 5 or more days. Imagine what those five days were like.
Day Two--Second Thoughts
If Joseph was nervous on that first morning of their journey, he was downright frazzled on the second.
The first day had been rough for Mary. She wasn't used to riding the donkey Joseph normally used to carry his carpentry tools and supplies. For that matter, the poor old donkey wasn't used to a load that didn't just sit there and ride. Mary kept moving, shifting, trying to get comfortable, all to no avail.
They had to stop frequently for her to rest. Had they been traveling alone, in no particular hurry, that would have posed little problem. But they were not alone. Joseph had arranged for them to travel with a group of his family members also headed to Bethlehem to register. Family members who should have been considerate of Mary's condition and her need to rest.
They, however, were not. Mary's pregnancy posed a problem for them. A big one. She was pregnant before the two were married. And the whole story of an angel appearing to her and telling her it was all God's doing? No one bought it. Even when Joseph told them of the dream he'd had, they all thought he was either covering for her, him, or both. Mary having to stop and rest only reminded them again and again of the strife she had caused in their once peaceful family.
It wasn't long before Mary's frequent rests caused the young couple to fall to the back of the caravan, and then off the tail end. Joseph did not want to travel to Bethlehem to be counted so he could be taxed. He did not want to do so with his pregnant wife. Most certainly he did not want to do it alone. The roads were dangerous. Vicious beasts, animal and human, haunted the wooded areas. With the increase in traffic due to the census, opportunistic predators of all stripes were drawn to the proverbial table.
Joseph did not want to be left behind for another very important reason. What if Mary's time came? He was a carpenter, not a physician. He'd seen sheep and other animals give birth, but a woman? His wife, none the less? The women in the caravan would know how to take care of her and the baby. He, on the other hand, didn't have the first clue.
Each time they stopped, Joseph fretted more and more. The tension rose. He tried to be understanding, but when the last of the group passed out of sight around a corner, he urged Mary to start again, then hurried to catch up. That only increased the strain on her, and the frequency with which she needed to stop and rest.
By the time evening came, Joseph was exhausted. Not from the exertion of the travel, but the stress. Mary's every moan and groan cut into him like a knife. On the other hand, her increasing need to stop and rest grated on his nerves like the squeaking of an oxcart wheel. They couldn't go any faster, but they couldn't possibly go any slower, either.
As they lay on the cold, hard ground, listening to Mary cry softly as she turned this way and that, trying to get comfortable, Joseph considered for the hundredth time just turning around. Take Mary back, and then make the trip on his own. It would be so much simpler, so much easier, so much wiser. It was the right thing to do.
Mary, though quiet and sweet girl she was, would have nothing of it. Arguing with her was like counting the sands of the desert. She was going, and he knew why.
The message of the angel. The ancient prophecies. If she were truly carrying the God-child Gabriel said she was, there was only one place that child could be born. Bethlehem. That's why God had caused Rome to call for the census. That's why the child had not yet come. That's why . . .
He'd heard it all a dozen times. Right now, tired and stressed, he wasn't sure. It only made since if. If his dream was really more than a dream. If Mary was telling the truth. If God truly had a plan for them, such a grand and unbelievable plan that even a man of great faith would have trouble believing. And Joseph was just a regular man. No one great. No one important. No one God would give such attention.
As he closed his eyes, Joseph offered one more prayer. Please God, let it be so.
Up well before dawn, never really having slept, Joseph prayed again. He had never stopped, really. As the others began moving around, picking up their things, he nudged his wife.
It was time to go. If this was God's journey for them, it had only just begun.
To be continued . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment