About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I’m not making this up…Google the phrase “hissy fit” and you will find links to all sorts of websites – including retail outlets for products that say, “Never underestimate the power of a hissy fit!” Apparently, a lot of people think this is a viable strategy!
According to info at JesusTrail.com*, Mary and Joseph probably traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem in a caravan with other travelers. There was a shorter, but more treacherous route…and a longer, flatter trek along the Jordan River Valley. We don’t know which one Mary and Joseph selected, but either way, the journey of almost 100 miles would have taken the couple 8-10 days on foot and donkey. I cannot imagine that they weren’t both more than a little nervous and apprehensive.
Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem. The ruler had ordered all people to register for the census in their birth city. And if we are learning anything at all about Joseph and Mary, we must certainly agree that they were obedient people. They respected the law of the land – whether they agreed with it or not. Both Joseph and Mary also respected God’s authority. Surely it was not their choice to be in this predicament, but a series of events had placed them here…on this road…in these conditions. And they accepted their assignment(s) and trusted God to handle the details. Nowhere in scripture is there any indication that either Mary or Joseph threw a “hissy fit”!
Do you see the lesson here for each of us? We are often called to do things that we don’t want to do. We are presented with a challenge and/or an obstacle and have to figure out how to make everything work. And more often than we even realize, we have to trust God to pull all of the details together and orchestrate an outcome. Sometimes we kick and stomp and throw a little “hissy fit”…and hope against hope that it actually works! But deep down, I think that we all know better! And certainly, the Bible demonstrates to us via many examples that this is not a viable option!
There will be a lot of times when we are called to do something that we don’t want to do…something difficult, or unpleasant…something that certainly is not our choice. But when we know in our heart that this is the right thing to do…we have to “hitch up our britches” and get on with it…and proceed with the confidence that God is right there with us every step of the way. It’s a tall order that requires incredible faith and conviction.
A “hissy fit” may make you feel better for the moment. But at best, it’s a short-term solution. Learn from Joseph and Mary, and “get on your donkey and head for Bethlehem”! God will handle the details – and reward your faithfulness. The message of Christmas is about so much more than the birth of our Savior. It’s also about obedience, trust and confidence in our discipleship. How well are you demonstrating these traits in your Christian walk?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*http://jesustrail.com/blog/hiking-the-nativity-trail-from-nazareth-to-Bethlehem
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