O Little Town of Bethlehem
As we approach the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, most of us – together with thousands upon thousands of people around the world – will hear and sing the beloved Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. It was written in 1868 by Phillips Brooks, an Episcopal pastor in Boston. While visiting the Holy Land in 1865, weary and saddened by the tragedy of the just-concluded Civil War, he had a life-changing spiritual experience in Bethlehem. One night, Phillips walked in the Shepherds’ Field alone and later stood in the church which marks the birthplace of Jesus. He was overcome by a sense of closeness to God and an awareness of the holiness of that little town.
Although he related this experience to a few friends and family, it was not until three years later that he was able to put it into words. The opportunity came when he wanted a new carol for the children of Trinity Church to sing in their Christmas program. As he reflected on that night in Bethlehem, the words seemed to flow from his heart to his pen. And so, the carol lives on today.
May we share a few thoughts with you, our friends in Christ, pertaining to this “little town of Bethlehem” as we find her in the pages of Holy Scripture. We do so with the hope that our hearts will likewise find a renewed inspiration and refreshing in this glorious Nativity season.
Bethlehem (house of bread) is one of the oldest cities in the world. The original name seems to have been Ephrathah; some believe named after the wife of Caleb (Joshua’s fellow-spy for Moses). It never was a large city, nor an “important” city by economic, political, or military standards. In ancient days, it is estimated to have housed a population of less than 1,000 people. Even today that number is only near 30,000. It was located about 5 miles south of Jerusalem in the rolling hills of Judea trailing toward the desert southward. The people there lived a rather simple life – farmers, shepherds and vineyard-keepers. However, she had quite a history in the providence of God!
The first mention of Bethlehem occurs in Genesis 35:19, although there were some significant happenings there before that time. Jacob and his family were returning home to his aging father, Isaac, from a sojourn in Bethel. Rachel, Jacob’s wife, was in labor and their journey had been difficult. As they neared Bethlehem, she was able to give birth to their son, Benjamin, but she died almost immediately. Jacob buried Rachel there, setting a stone upon her grave. From all indications, that stone has remained in place as a marker. About 800 years later, the site of Rachel’s grave is referred to by the prophet Samuel (I Samuel 10:2) when he directed the king-elect, Saul, to meet two men there. Even today, there is a domed memorial covering Rachel’s tomb in the “little town of Bethlehem”.
The little town of Bethlehem became the setting of the beautiful and historically important story in the book of Ruth. A man named Elimelech and his wife, Naomi. Dwelt there with their two sons. A famine forced them to flee to the neighboring country of Moab, about 50 miles to the east. Following the death of Elimelech and their two sons (who had married Moabite women), Naomi returned to their home in Bethlehem bringing her daughter-in-law, Ruth, with her. Ruth was later taken in marriage by Boaz, a prosperous farmer, and a kind and generous man. As time passed, Ruth gave birth to a son whom they named Obed. The family remained in Bethlehem for generations. There, Obed became the father of Jesse; Jesse became the father of David, who later became the king of Israel (1000 B.C.) (I Samuel 16: 1-13). Therefore, the little town of Bethlehem became known as the City of David (Luke 2: 4,11).
About 700 years before Christ, the prophet Micah foretold the location of the birthplace of the promised Messiah (Micah 5:2). That prophecy was so memorable and honored in Israel throughout the centuries, that the chief priests and scribes informed King Herod that the coming King would be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2: 4-8).
A survey of the genealogy of the family of King David takes us through about 27 generations over a span of nearly 1000 years to the days of Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary (Matthew 1:6-16). So it was, that Joseph’s “hometown”, like that of David, Jesse, Obed, and Boaz before him, was, indeed, the little town of Bethlehem.
As the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, directed that everyone in the Empire must register for taxation in his hometown, Joseph made the 76-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary in 4 B.C. Once again, our attention is drawn to the little town of Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah and the promise of God.
As we all are aware, the most glorious display of heaven’s glory the world had ever seen appeared in the skies above the little town of Bethlehem and descended to the cave where the Son of God (“the bread of life”- John 6:48) lay as a newborn babe in a manger. “For there is born to you this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2: 11).
Looking back again, the prophet Jeremiah (600 B.C.) lamented the conquest of Judah (including Bethlehem) by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The cities and villages were destroyed – reduced to rubble. The young, the strong, the skilled were forcibly exiled to Babylon in 586 B.C. Left behind were the elderly and infirmed weeping for their children who had been taken from them. Within this context, the little town of Bethlehem had lost its young – it hopes for the future – and the shadow of death hung heavily over her. Jeremiah spoke: “Thus says the Lord: A voice was heard in Ramah (about 10 miles from Bethlehem), lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel (Bethlehem) weeping for her children, because they are no more” (Jeremiah 31:15).
Tragedy struck the little town when King Herod’s exceeding anger and selfish fear drove him to order the murder of all the male children, two years old and younger, in the district surrounding Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16). According to the tradition of the Church, there were 14,000 infants savagely slain in that wave of terror. They are remembered and commemorated on December 29th.
Following the murderous outbreak by King Herod, St. Matthew describes Bethlehem’s grief by repeating those sorrowful words of Jeremiah, “A voice was heard in Ramah ……… Rachel weeping for her children because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:18).
May God have mercy today on our nation where millions of precious infants, yet inborn, have been slain in the womb in the past 50 years.
It is interesting to note that the little town of Bethlehem is not mentioned again in Scripture after the events surrounding the birth of Christ. But that little town, with such a special history, was chosen by God to host our Savior’s birth – the beginning of our salvation – the starting point of our journey to heaven.
As we conclude, we offer, as a postscript, a meditation given some years ago by Fr. Anthony Coniaris which Kh. Dannie discovered and shared with many women of the church across our country.
Christ is Born! Glorify Him! We wish you all a glorious Christmas!
Fr. Andrew and Kh. Dannie
WHERE IS BETHLEHEM?
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.
Where is Bethlehem? Did the Son of God come to be born in a tiny hamlet in far-away Palestine? Or was He born there that He might come to be born somewhere far closer?
If Christmas is the time that God chose to come close to us, then Bethlehem must be somewhere very close to us. Where is Bethlehem?
It is not far at all. Bethlehem is your heart and mine! This is where Jesus came to be born. This is where He wants to be born. This is where He wants to live to bring us new life – the very life of God.
If Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born and not in your heart and mine, then we have missed the whole meaning of Christmas.
Where is Bethlehem? – “Behold I stand at the door and knock. “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him” (Rev. 3:20). There is Bethlehem!
Where is Bethlehem? – “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). There is Bethlehem.
Where is Bethlehem? – “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him” (John 6:56). There is Bethlehem.
Where is Bethlehem? – “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me,” said St. Paul for whom Bethlehem was within.
Where is Bethlehem? – “Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God Himself shall be with them, and he their God” (Rev. 21:30). There is Bethlehem.
Invite the Lord Jesus to come and sit on the throne of your heart as King, and Bethlehem will be within You!
And when it is, then the peace and the joy of Christmas will be with you all year long. “And you shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted means God with us.” God in us! Bethlehem!
The success of the original space shuttle Columbia caused millions of people around the world to reflect on how far America has come in space exploration. But perhaps astronaut James Irwin in the fourth moon walk, in 1971, put it in perspective best when he said,
“I can’t describe to you the thrill of looking out into space and seeing it as only a handful of men have ever seen it,’’ Irwin explains. ‘‘Of seeing the sun and stars in the most brilliant, breathtaking colors mankind has ever witnessed. And then to look in another direction, and there hanging like a multicolored, luminous giant marble was the earth. I could hardly contain myself.”
“I came to a stop. Moon dust settled down on my boots and chills ran up and down my spine. I thought, WOW! This is the greatest miracle in the history of the human race. Man is walking on the moon! Then God spoke to my heart, ‘No, Jim. It isn’t really. The greatest miracle in the history of mankind is not that man walked on the moon, it’s that God walks on the earth and lives in you.’” ….. in the Bethlehem of your soul and mine!
Joy To the World! The Lord Has Come!
Let earth receive her king.
Let every heart prepare him room.
And heav’n and nature sing.
And heav’n and nature sing.
And heav’n and nature sing.
PRAYER
“O holy Child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; oh, come to us, abide with us, our Lord, Immanuel!”
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