Knowing The Word in Luke 2:1-3

The Birth of Jesus Christ

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.

Comments

There is no record outside Luke’s Gospel that Caesar Augustus declared that a world census should be taken. In the province of Egypt, however, there are census records from AD 20 and forward taken every fourteen years. Israel was in the province of Syria, and there could have been a similar practice. We just don’t have the records. Perhaps it is best to view this decree as a local administrative directive described by Luke as coming from Rome because Quirinius represented Rome and its occupation of Israel.

Luke sets this story in secular history to illustrate that God controls history. Caesar does not set God’s plan into action. God does for his own purposes. It may be, however, that Herod was behind the census. In the Roman census system, people register in their place of residence. Herod likely cloaked this directive in more nationalistic and tribal terms, having people return to their place of birth, which is a more Jewish understanding.

Application

Reflect on the following questions: Do you consider yourself as part of a tribe? What are its important characteristics? Is it inclusive or exclusive? Is your tribe motivated by love or hate or something in between? How do you express loyalty to your tribe?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you intervened in human history in a specific time and place for your salvific purposes. In your Son, Jesus, we are brought together in one body, one tribe, and filled one Spirit. As we approach the celebration of the day of his birth, help us to be mindful of the gift of the Body of Christ, his Church, his Bride, his people bought upon the cross, that we may love one another sacrificially and that through this love others will know that we are Christians, “little Christs,” who show forth his love in a broken and sinful world.