“And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.”
Luke 2:4-5 NLT
Journeys are made for a variety of reasons. When young and developing in ministry, I travelled all over the word. The initial excitement and romanticism soon faded as I discovered the waiting process of passing through airport security, the frustration of delayed and cancelled flights and the physical discomfort generated from travelling creating increased stress. Yet, this often faded once I encountered the horrors of people living in a war zone in Bosnia, or refugees incarcerated in a camp with little freedom and nothing constructive with which to pass the time.
Joseph and Mary, at a time of great discomfort, are required to journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the purpose of a census. It’s been calculated that by donkey this was four eight-hour days of travel. Pregnant, in high heat, riding a donkey, I imagine it took longer than that. This was an interruption to the plans that both would have laid for the birth of their son. In considering this journey, it is worth thinking of the challenges Mary and Joseph would have faced.
Today is an opportunity to recognise that journeying with Jesus can be uncomfortable. Each of us is a part of God’s plan, and in surrendering to God we issue our permission for our life to follow its God-given course. Mary cannot have known that in the vulnerability experienced by all first-time mums, the trust she had placed in God at the time of the annunciation was to see her balancing on a donkey, nine months pregnant. It was perhaps an indication that her work as a mother was to prove challenging in bringing up God’s Son, and so it proved to be. Equally, our path, following surrender to God, is not going to be without its discomforts and fears.
QUESTION
How have you handled the path God has led you on down the years?
PRAYER
Lord God, help me walk the journey you have for me with trust and courage.
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