Among Us
It seems commonplace that in social life there is a kind of hierarchy or certain social levels. People who occupy high hierarchical positions will receive more special treatment compared to those in the lower caste. Likewise, people in the lower caste in the system are unlikely to receive “undue” treatment. When the prophets prophesied that a liberating King would be born who would establish the power of Israel, it was natural in the minds of the Jews that the King would have special privileges from the moment he was born. It was inevitable for the king who was the highest hierarchy in society to be treated specially.
Apparently this was not the case with Jesus, the long-promised Messiah. Although born into the lineage of David, from the moment of his birth God seemed to place Jesus in the struggles of the majority of society at that time. Mary was an ordinary girl who grew up in a village and not a big city. While Joseph was just a carpenter, a profession that was not too flashy at that time. Even since His birth, Jesus had experienced rejection. Something that He would experience later when He wanted to fulfill God's task and calling.
Laid in a Manger
According to the Gospel of Luke, the story of Jesus's birth is placed in a clear historical context, namely during the reign of Caesar Augustus and Quirinius as governor of Syria. Another event that specifically marked His birth was the census held by the Roman Empire. Everyone was required to return to their hometown to be registered. The exact number of residents would affect the accuracy of the government in collecting taxes from them. A mechanism that actually only benefits the rulers.
Joseph and Mary had to return to Bethlehem because that was where Joseph came from. At that time Bethlehem was a village located a few miles south of the capital city of Jerusalem. In a condition of almost giving birth, Mary had to make the journey in a very confusing situation. When she arrived in Jerusalem, it was time for Mary to give birth. Jesus was born into the world.
The next episode is a well-known fragment for every Christian because it is repeatedly visualized when Christmas comes. Mary and Joseph cannot find a place in the inn. The popular image places this scene in a stable separate from the main house according to the imagination of today because in the text there is a reference to a "manger" a place for livestock to eat. The word translated as inn comes from the Greek word Kataluma. Kataluma can be interpreted as a room in a house or a lodging house. Martin Harun in his book, Luke: The Gospel of the Marginalized, chooses to stick to the text by understanding kataluma as an inn. This young family did not get a place in the inn, then was placed in a separate room (still in the same building) where the livestock were and laid in a manger.
Therefore, the story of the birth of Jesus is a story colored by rejection. The swaddling clothes used to wrap the baby Jesus were something normal at that time, so it cannot be interpreted as a symbol of simplicity. Jesus had been rejected from the beginning. In line with the story of the Gospel of Luke which depicts Jesus as a figure who has no place either in Nazareth (Luke 4:29), Samaria (Luke 9:53, 58), Jerusalem (Luke 22-Acts 7), and also not in the synagogues of the diaspora (Acts 13:45-51). The manger is a sign that the hope for the Messiah that had been lived by the Jews at that time would be fulfilled in a different way than what people had been waiting for.
Jesus' Rejection and Compassion for the Rejected
According to Luke, the affirmation of Jesus' rejection in the story of His birth can also be reflected as a statement of His siding with those who had also experienced rejection and marginalization. For the sake of maintaining holiness and purity, society must undergo a social and religious system that often marginalizes certain people for various reasons. Those with disabilities or contagious skin diseases were ostracized because they were considered to be affected by the sins of their ancestors. Sinners were denied a place in places of worship and socializing because they were considered to make someone unclean. The poor were increasingly marginalized as a result of oppressive structures in colonial countries. Jesus the Messiah was present and compassionate towards those who were marginalized. He came to help the “sick” not the “healthy,” bringing sinners to repentance and the Kingdom of God.
Look around us and you will soon realize that our condition is no different from the situation at that time. Those who suffer suffer even more because they are marginalized and have no place in society. The leaders of the nation are busy with their own affairs and do not take time to consider the suffering of the people. We are busy categorizing ourselves and blaming each other. So as a people who have been touched by Him with great compassion, what is our response to the situation above? Shouldn't Christmas be an opportunity to echo liberation and salvation?
To ponder:
If Jesus were born today, to whom would He direct His support? What group of people would feel His work first?
