Jesus Took Another Trip

An ancient ruler demanded that all of his subjects return to their hometowns to register so they would be easier to control and tax. So, the first journey Jesus took was in the womb of a very young girl who was nine months pregnant.

Neither he nor his mother were very comfortable as she walked or rode a donkey toward a small town called Bethlehem where the only place for her baby to be born was in a smelly stable. The only ones who witnessed or cared were some very frightened shepherds and evidently a little boy with a drum?

2022 years later a ruler called a governor decided to make some brownie points with his followers and the political party he worshipped. He forced some people he thought were expendable pawns and not real humans onto busses for a 1600 mile trip. He did so even though it was well-known they were headed into almost record cold and blizzards.

Jesus was a young boy who had no coat or shoes. Jesus was the young couple who had walked hundreds of miles carrying young children fleeing the violence of their homeland and asking asylum in a new world. Jesus was the elderly couple huddled together in confusion in the back of the bus. The risen Christ lives in the lives and hearts of His people.

After untold hours of riding nonstop they were dumped on the sidewalk in front of the home of the governor’s political rival. No preparations had been made for them, no shelters awaited their arrival, no one knew they were coming.

Evidently the Governor never thought or remembered that Jesus had said,

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40 KJV

The next day the governor and most of his followers very likely went to church. After all it was Christmas day. Somewhere somebody sang:

“Sweet little Jesus boy, born in a manger.
Sweet little Holy Child, we didn’t know who You were.” (by Robert MacGimsey)