...SHE LAID HIM IN A MANGER BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR THEM IN THE INN." LUKE 2:7 Exegesis and History of Interpretation of the Text; and Its Message for the Poor and the Rich
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Date
2005
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
At Christmas time in 2001 we attended a mid-night mass at a small church of an
outstation of Maramba parish in Tanga Tanzania. It was striking to see, how the
celebrant during the homily labored to create a Christmas atmosphere and Christmas
simplicity. He did this, by creatively constructing a scene of what he thought should
have taken place at the birth of Jesus. From that time on we have been so attentive to
this observation and now we can say that that priest in that outstation is not alone.
The birth of Jesus as narrated in the Scriptures seems to be of secondary
importance as compared to the narratives of his passion death and resurrection. Part of
the reason is that the former is in retrospect to the latter. However during Christmas the
Infancy narratives takes the centre stage.'
During Christmas time, many try to create the Christmas atmosphere, they do
this often by creating up stories, and reconstructing what can be imagined as the
historical circumstances of the birth of Jesus. They base their creations on the legends
which have nothing to do with the gospel text. Their intention is to bring about what
they think is not in the gospel text, i.e. the Christmas atmosphere and spirit, but as they
embark on this exercise they use creche scenes and legend stories and unfortunately
HERMAN HENDRICKX, Infancy Narratives, 127.
they fall into self-same pit of blurring the biblical text and consequently the Christmas
atmosphere.
Our aim in this long essay is to recover the Christmas spirit. We shall do so not
by creating what can be imagined to have been the historical circumstance of the birth
of Jesus, but rather by a return to the simplicity and somberness of the original biblical
text. We aim to achieve this exercise by an exegetical analysis of the gospel text. We
shall use the text from the Gospel according to St. Luke. Our particular interest lies on
the meaning of Luke 2:7, and how this has been understood to mean by different ages.
Since Luke 2:1-20 is an undivided unit, our exegesis will thus treat it as a unit, our
emphasis will however be on verse 7.
The attempt to create the Christmas atmosphere, which has been helped by the
legend stories and the Christmas crèche scenes together with medieval piety has come
up with a new interpretation of the biblical text under study. We intend to uncover this
meaning that has up. We shall refer to this new meaning as popular meaning. When
Luke was putting down this passage he had his intended meaning, we shall state this
meaning and then show that the popular meaning does not necessarily contradict the
original meaning, in fact it enhances and enriches the original meaning.
Our essay therefore will be divided in three chapters. In chapter one we will
attempt to situate the text. We shall answer all the introductory questions concerning
our text. Chapter two will be dedicated on the exegesis and meaning of the text. Our last
chapter will present a skimmed history of interpretation of the text. We will then sift the
message that is there in the text today. This message is for the poor as well as for the
rich.
Thus our objective is very big but our time is constraining and space limited.
Following this then our essay will not be fully exhaustive and thus will not have the
final word on the matter. However it will be scientific enough to be credible
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...SHE LAID HIM IN A MANGER BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR THEM IN THE INN." LUKE 2:7 Exegesis and History of Interpretation of the Text; and Its Message for the Poor and the Rich