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Thinking about the journey to Bethlehem

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.

 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

 

Luke 2:1-5

The journey from. Nazareth to Bethlehem  would not have been easy for anyone: depending on the route they took the distance would have been between 70 and 90 miles and it would have taken between 5 and 7 days. Poor Mary!

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A very young woman expecting her first baby and having no female support. 

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Riding a donkey on rough terrain: there would have been no tarmaced roads then.

And although they were going to Joseph's 'hometown', it was not to visit friends and family as so many of us will do happily at this time of year. They were travelling to fulfil the demand of the Roman Emperor: they lived in an occupied country and were not free to do as they wished.

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Mary was probably uncomfortable, Joseph anxious. They didn't know what lay ahead for them.....but they knew her son was the Son of God and they must care for Him.

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They must have felt lonely and maybe a bit scared... and sore! That was a long walk.

Maybe today, it might be more like this....

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