NOTE: Two weeks ago i began posting a series of five short stories surrounding the incarnational birth of Jesus. These stories are fictional first-person accounts of the prophecies and events surrounding the advent of Jesus. Some of the characters and details are fictional, but you will find the truth they convey to be very REAL! My prayer is that, through the telling, you are reminded of the Good News of Advent this Christmas season. To that end, let’s look at the account through the eyes of five very different individuals:
Mary – the virgin (November 18)
Eli – the father of Mary (November 25)
Miriam – the hostess (This week – December 2)
Sarah – the granddaughter of Miriam (December 9)
Levi – the rabbi in Bethlehem (December 16)
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I am Miriam and have lived my entire life here in Bethlehem. In ancient times, the town was called Ephrath, meaning “fruitful.” The first reference to Ephrath in our history is that Jacob’s wife, Rachel, died near here giving birth to their youngest son, Benjamin. That is significant to me because my lineage follows the tribe of Benjamin. As a matter of fact, King Saul was one of my ancestors. My lineage follows his oldest daughter, Merab.
You may recall that King Saul offered to give Merab in marriage to David if he would fight the Philistines. David declined the offer, but subsequently married Saul’s younger daughter Michal. My husband, Achim, comes from the line of David. We often joke that if David had married Merab instead of Michal, Achim and I would have probably been related. But instead, I remained a Benjamite, while Achim’s lineage followed the tribe of Judah.
Achim and I have known one another since we were children. Our families made an agreement while we were both still very young, so it came as no surprise when we wed one another. I couldn’t have been happier! I had always admired Achim. He is an honorable man – always seeking to do the right thing. If he has any fault, it is that once he makes up his mind, there is no changing it. His decision is final.
I have always respected his decisiveness and been grateful that he is a man of integrity. He fears God and seeks to honor the commandments without fail. He instilled those same traits in our sons. Achim and I have had disagreements on minor things, just like most married couples, but for all of our thirty-five years of marriage we have been like-minded when it pertains to God’s law. That’s what has made this week so hard.
My daughters-in-law and I had been busy for weeks making preparations for out-of-town family members who would be staying with us for the census. We were looking forward to reuniting with family we hadn’t seen for some time. One of those was Achim’s cousin Joseph. He and his wife, Rebekah, had visited with us once years ago. We were sad for him when we learned she had died.
Then when we saw him in Jerusalem at Passover, we were overjoyed to hear he was betrothed. Happiness had returned to his life. And if anyone deserved some happiness, it was Joseph. So, we were looking forward to his visit and celebrating his good fortune with him while he was here in our home.
When Joseph arrived at our doorway earlier this week, Achim excitedly called out for me to come join him in welcoming our special guest. But I was surprised when my husband did not extend a warm and enthusiastic greeting. Quite the contrary, he appeared to be distressed.
I could see a beautiful, young woman was with Joseph. She was obviously pregnant. She had that radiance that all expectant mothers have. I could see she was exhausted, so I wanted to quickly get her in our home and off her feet. I wasn’t even thinking about who she was or why she was with Joseph.
I just saw an expectant young mother who needed to rest. My maternal instincts had taken over as I reached out to escort her into our home. But I was confused when Achim stopped me. I could not imagine why he was being so inhospitable. That simply wasn’t like him.
Obviously, Joseph and the young woman saw our disagreement and felt uncomfortable during the awkward silence that followed. Joseph was the first to speak. “Achim and Miriam, this is Mary, my wife,” he said.
Immediately my mind started to race. When we saw Joseph in the spring they had only just been betrothed. He had said the marriage feast would be this coming December. But she was now obviously nine months pregnant! I looked at Joseph, then I looked at the young woman, and then I looked at Achim. The puzzled expression on my face must have been obvious. I didn’t know what to say!
Joseph asked if they could enter so Mary could sit down and rest, and he would provide us with further explanation. That made perfect sense to me. We had to let this poor woman get off her feet, so again I reached out to help her inside. I couldn’t understand why Achim continued to stand in the doorway and block their entry, but I was particularly put off when he removed my hand from Mary’s shoulder. Achim was determined to continue the conversation at the doorway and not allow this couple to come inside.
Achim confronted Joseph with the obvious question. Joseph then told us about the Spirit of God, an angel, and a statement that Mary was still a virgin! I will confess it all sounded pretty outlandish!
I could tell Achim was getting angry – and I understood why. Achim believed that, at best, his cousin and this young woman had broken their marriage covenant and Joseph had lied about it. Or, at worst, this young woman had broken the seventh commandment that states, “Do not commit adultery.”(1) And Joseph was trying to cover up her sin.
Regardless, they had sinned against God, and Achim could not ignore their sin. They were guilty before God. And for my husband, if he allowed them into his home, he would be condoning their sin. His beliefs would not allow him to do that! Therefore, he did the only thing he knew to do – he told them there was no room for them in his home. He even told them there would be no room for them in any home in Bethlehem.
I saw the sadness and hurt in the couple’s eyes. I saw the exhaustion on Mary’s face. And I saw the concern Joseph had for his pregnant wife. At that moment, I was overcome with compassion. No, I didn’t believe their story, but I also was not going to turn my back on this young woman who needed someone to give her shelter. It didn’t matter whether Joseph was our relation or not – I would not turn away any mother in that condition!
So, I did something I had never done. I openly contradicted my husband. I ignored what he said and told them they could spend the night in our stable. Achim started to interrupt me – but I gave him a look that said I was not going to back down on this.
I directed the couple to the stable and told them I would bring them food and water for the night. I told Achim that we would not breathe a word of this to anyone, including our family. Achim would usher any guests into our home and stable their animals himself. No one was to have contact with Joseph and Mary. My husband and I did not exchange another word that evening.
Later that night after everyone was asleep, I heard the faint cry of a baby. I knew the sound was coming from our stable. I wanted to go see if the couple needed anything, but I decided against it. I did not want to bring attention to them by stirring – and I did not want to further upset my husband.
A short time later, I heard a commotion out in the street. Everyone was asleep in our town. Who would be making such a noise at this time of night? I quietly got up from my bed and looked out the window. It was a group of shepherds. I could see they had made their way to the stable. I had no idea what they were doing there – and now I had to see for myself. It was one thing to not tell anyone about our guests in the stable, but it was quite another to allow them to come to any harm.
I slipped outside and peered into the stable. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I recognized the shepherd Moshe and his young son. They, and the rest of the shepherds, were kneeling on the straw before the baby in the manger – praising God and worshipping the infant. I heard them tell Joseph and Mary how angels had appeared to them in the fields telling them about the child’s birth. The angels had said the baby is the Messiah – and I could tell the shepherds believed every word they were repeating. Maybe Joseph’s story was not as far-fetched as we thought!
The shepherds remained there for some time as a holy hush came over that place. I saw Moshe’s son linger before the baby as the rest of the shepherds began to leave. Then I looked at the faces of Joseph and Mary. There was a tenderness and even a worshipfulness in their eyes. There wasn’t any shame! Something unusual – and perhaps unexplainable in our own minds – was taking place. I decided I needed to return to the house and tell Achim what I had witnessed.
To his credit, he never questioned whether what I was saying was correct; he just listened as I relayed the events. I told him we needed to invite the family into our home. Whether what I had heard was true or not, we could not allow this young mother and newborn to sleep outside in the cold.
There was no convincing Achim that the baby was the Son of God or that Mary was a virgin. But he agreed that she and the baby could come into our home and stay until Mary’s time of purification came. He was resolute, however, that Joseph could not join them. He would have to leave. As a matter of fact, he would not be permitted to remain in the stable.
Mary and the baby were to stay in the room on the upper floor. None of the family would know they were there, and they would not be permitted to have any contact with anyone else in our home. I realized there would be no further discussion with Achim on these matters. These arrangements would have to do.
The two of us went out to the stable to tell Joseph and Mary. I helped Mary bring the baby inside and got them settled back down for the night. I was grateful that the baby did not cry and awaken anyone. Throughout the weeks that followed, I was amazed at how quiet the baby actually was.
Achim spoke with Joseph and they agreed that he would go to Jerusalem. He could find carpentry work there for a few weeks. He would register for the census early in the morning and then be gone. He would return in eight days for the baby’s circumcision, but otherwise he would stay away until it was time for him and his family to return home.
Early every morning and late each night I brought Mary food and water. For the first few days, Mary rested and regained her strength. And each morning I lingered just a little bit longer in her room. The baby was beautiful with dark hair and dark eyes. In fact, He had the most compelling eyes I had ever seen. When I looked into them, I believed they were intently looking right back at me. I knew that none of my sons was able to do that as babies. But there was something different about this child!
One night, my granddaughter Sarah surprised me by following me to the room and discovering our secret. To her credit, she never told anyone else, including Achim, about Mary and the baby. I was actually grateful for the added help to care for our guests, and I think Mary was glad for the companionship of someone closer to her own age.
As the days and weeks passed, I continued to mull over all that was happening. Were the shepherds right? Did they hear correctly? Was Joseph speaking the truth to us? Is this really the Son of God sleeping in our upper room? Is this truly the Messiah we have been awaiting? Surely, He couldn’t be. Would God send His Messiah in such an unusual way? As each day passed, the more I began to believe it was true.
Little did I know what was still to come …
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This story is excerpted from Little Did We Know. The complete book of twenty-five stories is now available through Amazon in standard print, large print, for your e-reader, and as an audiobook. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy.
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In multiple instances the dialogue in this story comes directly from Scripture. Whenever i am quoting Scripture, it has been italicized. The Scripture references are as follows:
(1)Exodus 20:14
Copyright © 2020 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.
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