24th December Christmas reflection 7 Arriving in Bethlehem

 

 Mary couldn’t take another step. “Just leave me here,” she gasped, “I’ll be alright, there plenty of people about. You go to your cousin Ezra’s and tell them we’ve arrived. You can come back to collect me.”

Joseph tried to argue but it was no good. Mary knew the time to give birth was almost here. She needed to be indoors, in a nice warm house, in a nice warm bed soon. Very soon.

Joseph turned on his heels and within moments had been swallowed up by the crowds of people. A country girl at heart Mary had never been to the big cities but even she was surprised at the number of people. Nazareth had never been as busy as this. ‘They must all be here for the census too,’ she thought.

After what seemed an eternity, she spotted Joseph emerging out of the sea of faces. The look on his face told her instinctively that something was wrong. “what is it,” asked Mary, “What’s the matter?” Joseph had tears in his eyes. “They haven’t got any room,” he said, “not at cousin Ezra’s or cousin Eli’s, not even at cousin Benjamin’s. They are all full to the rafters. The entire extended family has had to come for the census.”

Mary pondered as she often did. ‘No room,’ she thought, ‘or do they mean no room for us?” Still there was nothing for it, they would have to seek lodgings at one of the inns along the main street, a main street that was jam packed with people!