Into the World

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
    from ancient days.
— Micah 5:2

 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
    Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
— Luke 1:46-49

Amid the chaos and trappings of the season, it is easy to forget how simple and humble the first Christmas was. The savior wasn’t born in a lavish room of a grand palace within a metropolis, but instead to a young woman in the small town of Bethlehem.

Mary and Joseph would’ve traveled to his clan home in the village of around 2,000. (Even now, more than two thousand years later, Bethlehem has a population half of Minnetonka.) The small town is nestled against a limestone cliff that is dotted with caves. The couple would’ve stayed in the guest room (the Greek word “kataluma'' can mean an inn or guest room) of the clan house, but left the crowded space when it was time for Mary to deliver her baby. Jesus was likely born in a limestone cave used for storage, where prized animals were also kept.

And so the savior came into the world, not as a mighty ruler or rich merchant or powerful warrior, but as a humble baby.