Adventure - Day 8

“At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 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 2:1-5 NLT

For 100’s of years, the Israelite people had been in and out of slavery and oppression, under the rule of some power other than themselves.  Whether it was the Midianites, the Cushites, the Assyrians or Medes or Persians, the Babylonians, Greece, or Rome, someone else always seemed to have the upper hand.

Sometimes Israel fought back, other times they went into  captivity with the divine call to bless another people, and other times they seemingly gave up all hope and lived in darkness and despair.

By the time the Romans came to power, in roughly 67 BC, the Jews were scattered throughout the land.  In fact, according to historians, by the time of Jesus’ birth, there were more Jews living outside of Palestine than inside, and the most common language was Greek, not Hebrew.

In years past, the Israelites tried to revolt against their oppressors, like the revolt of Judas Maccabaeus from 167-160 BC.  But as we approached the birth of Jesus, roughly 6-5 BC, the Israelite leaders tried a different approach.  According to New Testament scholar, NT Wright, “No new Judas Maccabaeus arose to lead Israel’s faithful heroes in another holy war. Instead, his heirs and successors compromised with the faithless, played the political game, rendered unto Caesar what Caesar thought was due to him, and gave to their God what was left.” (The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians). So the Jewish leaders turned to compromise and nationalism to survive this new oppressor and pad their pockets in the meantime.

After a decades of compromise, however, it can be difficult to remember what set you apart in the first place.  The more the Israelites compromised with Rome, the more they lost their identity and calling.  And even though they could still recite the prophecies of the promised Messiah, the more comfortable their lives got the harder it became to let go of those lives.

As for the political leaders at the time, there were those that believed Caesar had divine qualities.  He adopted his nephew, Octavius, who eventually became emperor and took on the title Caesar August, or son of god.  Octavius instituted, through a series of alliances, political savviness, and blunt force, the Pax Romana (aka Roman Peace).

Into this world, a pronouncement was made that at the time, didn’t seem like much of a threat to the mega-power at Rome, but it would certainly shake the local magistrate.

Make no mistake, there are no coincidences in the birth story of Jesus.  During a time when Augustus, the son of god, was praised for bringing about the Pax Romana, the true Son of God came into this world as the Prince of Peace, to lead a kingdom not characterized by violence, compromise, or worldly power, but one of radical love, grace-filled forgiveness, inner-peace, and other worldly power.  It was a conflict, but one Rome could not win and no power could extinguish, not even death.

JOURNAL

1. Do you think you have ever made any compromises in your life that impact your faith, your call as a follower of Christ?
2. Rome was such a huge power. Have you ever felt up against something that you were sure you couldn’t defeat?
3. In a time with so much war, tensions, and divisions, how do you live under the Prince of Peace as an agent of that peace?