December 21, 2020 (Monday)
Bethlehem of Judah is the place where Jesus Christ was born. It is a small town located about 6 miles southwest of Jerusalem.
It is special to the Jewish people because it is where David was annointed King of Israel by Samuel the prophet. Before that, it was known for the burial site of Rachel, wife of the patriarch Jacob. Ruth, an ancestor of Jesus, was a Moabite who lived in Bethlehem with her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi, who was a native of Bethlehem.
The Muslim community also considers Bethlehem a special place. “The Qur’an does not believe that Jesus is divine but it devotes more space to the story of his virginal conception and birth than does the New Testament, presenting it as richly symbolic of the birth of the Spirit in all human beings (Qur’an 19:17-29; 21:91). Like the great prophets, Mary receives this Spirit and bears Jesus, who will, in his turn, become an ayah, a revelation of peace, gentleness and compassion to the world” (copied).
Christians know Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the World. Angels announced His birth to shepherds in the nearby hills where David as a boy had cared for his father’s flock. Joseph and Mary were from Nazareth in Galilee, but were in Bethlehem when Jesus was born, because Rome had decreed registration for taxation in ancestral homes and Joseph was of “the house and lineage of David.” Infants and toddlers of the town were later killed by King Herod in his effort to destroy a rival king. At that time, Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt and later returned to Nazareth, where Jesus grew to adulthood.
The infant Jesus was wrapped in cloths and his cradle was a manger. It is ironic that “there was no room in the inn” for Mary and Joseph, because today in Bethlehem there are 30 hotels and many souvenir shops; tourism is the chief business, especially at Christmastime. People visit the “Church of the Nativity” (built by the mother of a Roman emperor) year around from all parts of the world. The town is predominantly Muslim and is under Palestinian control. It has suffered destruction from war more than once but has been rebuilt each time.
The hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” speaks of the “the hopes and fears of all the years” meeting in the little town on the night of Jesus’ birth. Click on the image to listen to the hymn.