'In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. 9 The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. 10 The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”’
Luke continued to follow his theme of God’s promise and fulfillment. His goal is theological, and he does not try to be historically accurate (vv. 1-3). Quirinius was governor of Syria in AD 6-7 not during the reign of Herod who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. There is no historical record of a worldwide census under Caesar Augustus where people were required to register. However, a census was a good literary vehicle to move Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the city of David. Firstborn son (v. 7) could also mean firstborn of God (Col. 1:15,18). Jesus was wrapped in thin pieces of cloth tied together and placed in a cattle trough. This showed his humanity and the lowly state into which he was born. The manger could also mean that Jesus was food for the world in keeping with the Bethlehem (house of bread) theme. When Jesus was born there was no room for him in the inn, but just before he was arrested, he held the Last Supper in the upper room of an inn. The angel proclaimed the great joy of Jesus’ birth to shepherds who lacked religious status because they were considered unclean and therefore outcasts. To underline the significance of Jesus’ birth Luke had an army of angels praising God for the shepherds to see.
Almighty God, you choose the lowly and despised of the world to reduce to nothing those who are something, and you lift up the lowly by your great power and give them the hope of your everlasting kingdom. Grant us the grace to praise you with the heavenly hosts so that we too may one day share eternity with you. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Expanded Edition, Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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