Dave Hop by James Clarke
“It must be 5, no, six years since that glorious Pentecost morning when the Holy Spirit set us on fire to share the great news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. That was the last time on this earth when the eleven men and we following women were all together. The Spirit has scattered us all over the world, Paul and Luke and so many others joined us, and here we are – those who stayed or have come back to Galilee and Jerusalem, to share our stories.
I know those of us who did not know Jesus on earth want to know more about his birth and early life. I have told Luke about it all, and about Elizabeth, Zechariah and John their precious son, John who fulfilled the prophecies to prepare the way for our Messiah.
Even though it is 40 odd years, I am never going to forget it… of course, I still miss Joseph, Dear Joseph but I know we will be together again, maybe before too long? Joseph believed it was all his fault that we could not find anywhere to stay – he’d made arrangements but sickness had spoiled that, and the town was packed, the Census made sure of that.
I kept telling him not to worry – if God wanted this to happen, He would make sure it could, but it was getting very, very close, and Joseph had tried everywhere, until we had to give up and we… well, we just stood, sheltering from the crowds against a wall at the back of a drinking room, wondering what to do.
Suddenly, a young soldier, a Roman, saw us, and came and asked what were we doing there?
Joseph almost broke down:
“Sir, Sir, my wife is about to have a baby, and we have nowhere to go!”
The young man fetched an officer, a Centurion, who told me how much he missed his two boys back in Rome, and that he’d do what he could. Suddenly young soldiers were hurrying about cleaning a sort of cave stable, lighting a fire, and putting fresh straw in a cleaned up feeding trough… and with straw bales and a roof low over our heads, we had somewhere for the Saviour to be born! They found a midwife, and Jesus came into the world!
The Centurion looked in on us, and congratulated us on our son, and said we had visitors…
…and in poured faces burning with sheer joy! I soon found out they had been sent by Angels to greet God’s Son, the first people to know him were shepherds from the local hillsides, so, so happy to race down to Bethlehem bringing all sorts of gifts for the baby. I thanked them, Joseph was delighted with a beautiful carved crook, which he promised to keep safe for Jesus – it’s still in our home at Nazareth – then they raced off back to the sheep they had left on the hills… they’d be safe I am sure the Angels would make sure of that! I don’t think Joseph knew, but I was aware that Angels were with us, while waiting and in the cave, it wasn’t the first time! I’d had the same feeling of safety in their care from time to time after that first visit by Gabriel himself! And after all, wasn’t the young soldier one? I’m sure he was, and the Centurion too, Angels have come to God’s people in many ways from Father Abraham’s day!
The Centurion came back and wished us all well, and our thanks were almost beyond words… I wonder what happened to him, there is so much turmoil in Jerusalem now, I hope he is safe, and his sons too, they may be soldiers themselves now.
Joseph could not believe what had happened, his relief at finding shelter was as great as his relief at the safe delivery of God’s son! No father could have been better for Jesus, or for his brothers and sisters… he taught the boys everything he knew about his carpentry and his hobbies… he always said Jesus was a wonderful carpenter, such a loss when he set off on his journeys…
But, his journeys and ours now; aren’t they what he came for?”
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