Dis is the bess time of the year to find out: what is dis “Nativity”?
Well juss as dis is being rendered in creolese not consistent with the UG version and spelling, yuh can be general and specific ‘bout de NATIVITY.
Simply put the Nativity refers to the whole story of the Divine Birth of the Christ Child. Christians hold that that child Jesus was the “Son” or incarnation of God on Earth, God Amongst Us (Emmanuel). From “Nativus” – risen by birth, the Nativity is the basic Christian reenactment of the Baby Jesus’ Birth and all the elements therefrom. But what and what mek up those elements?
A VIRGIN, A CARPENTER, IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Since dis is a summary, generally already well-known, I put to y’all the earthly PRINCIPALS: JOSEPH, a carpenter-fella from Nazareth in the Province of Galilee. Apparently he and his clan were from the ‘House’ or lineage of DAVID and proud to be such.
Apparently in dem days, in dat parta-de-world, it was acceptable for a ‘big man’ to be friendly with young ladies. Quite young. So forty-plus Joseph’s fiancée was a lovely little teenager from de village name MARY. She was fifteen/sixteen and an untouched virgin. Later in the story yuh had King HEROD, the other three Kings or Wise Men from the Oriental East – The Magi. Always in de story yuh had Heavenly Intermediaries – messengers called ANGELS. Of course, you also had SHEPHERDS, ordinary fellows, like Carpenter Joseph, involve in dis Nativity story. First moral from dis story? The role and de significance of ordinary, poor working-class people.
But de Gospel writers record very little ’bout Mary and Joseph in dey Holy Bible. Luke write as much as he could. So we learn that Mary accepted without question dat she was chosen to bear the Baby, who would be the Messiah and Eventual Saviour of the Jews and whoever else would later accept Him.
Poor Joseph the Carpenter went through hell! He muss be looked up to these days as a humble male – but full of principle, integrity and an eventual sense of responsibility for the mighty role thrust upon his carpenter’s shoulders. He withstood the taunts of his naughty peers when they told him of the alleged unfaithfulness of his teenaged fiancée. He could have had Mary stoned to death over giving him what Guyanese call ‘BLOW’. He din know that she pregnancy was God wuck!
But de Angel had cautioned him. Reassured him: “JOSEPH, SON OF DAVID, DO NOT FEAR TO TAKE MARY AS YOUR WIFE. FOR THAT WHICH IS CONCEIVED IN HER IS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.” So suddenly Joseph was to be a Stepfather, Foster Father, Godfather to the Son of God! His little fiancée, still pure, untouched, unblemished, was to be the Godly Vessel of an “IMMACULATE CONCEPTION – a Virgin Birth. Truly Joseph was to be a man amongst men. A father of all fathers!
ARRIVAL, CHILDHOOD, AFTERMATH
By now y’all know de rest of de story: de Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus order everybody to go and get count and pay dey TAXES; so Joseph get a donkey, load up e young pregnant wife and head out from Nazareth to turn up in de town of BETHLEHEM in JUDEA.
Poor Joseph! Mary time come and she tek in. Bethlehem crowded with taxpayers. All guest houses, inns, hotels FULL UP! Plus as a poor carpenter, dey turn e away. Den a man offer he a clean, reasonable stable! Imagine dat. Yuh young fiancée/wife got to give birth in a cow pen. So said, so done. The baby, JESUS, was born in a manger, a facility, a pen wheh livestock would feed and dwell.De shepherds saw de star. Even three ‘Kings’ or Magi, who were told that that Baby would become de spiritual leader of the Jews an perhaps much of mankind, arrive with gifts. (We remember dat as de EPIPHANY, de last day of we Christmas.) But King Herod of Judea was jealous of dat Birth! Some lil king born to threaten he (Herod) status? Herod wanted Jesus dead! But the Kings ignored Herod and Joseph was warned. On the donkeys they journeyed to EGYPT, NORTH AFRICA wherein many Jews lived. Only when Herod died did the family return to their native Nazareth.
So young Jesus became his carpenter-father’s apprentice. All carpenters today should be proud artisans of their honourable trade! But the Boy Jesus was different. Even strange. He was soon a thinker. And He was HARDEARS. Once he just disappeared from his parents for THREE DAYS! Eventually He was found IN CONVERSATION WID LAWYERS, DOCTORS, and PRIESTS! And He was to tell His worried mother “I AM GOING ABOUT MY FATHER’S BUSINESS”. Poor mommy Mary at dat time had little idea of what de boy did really mean.
We now know that Jesus became a Divine Lord. Though His “kingdom was not of this world,” He evangelised as an anointed Messiah – A CHRIST. But dis commentary will not emphasise his work with His disciples. Or His eventual demise.
LESSON BEYOND DE BIRTH
The Nativity is an event pivotal to what became Christianity and Christendom.
Christians or not, we learn of the significance of humble working-class folks – the poor. Joseph and Mary teach we about acceptable humility, about integrity and character of motherhood and fatherhood.
Joseph was obviously a man of his Jewish FAITH and, unto now, a role-model for upright men. Especially delinquent fathers!
And Mary, the young Israelite girl should be a HEROINE to all young women. She shouldered the awesome responsibility to be the Earthly Mother of the Son of God! With grace she accepted the Angel Gabriel’s instructions: “YOU ARE FULL OF GRACE, YOU ARE HIGHLY FAVOURED. AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF YOUR WOMB.”
Even as a kind of REFUGEE in Egypt she remained a faithful, loving responsible MOTHER. Just some of the inspirational LESSONS FROM THE NATIVITY – AND BEYOND!
