Today is Saturday, December 29th, 2007; Karen's Korner #1219

(Making up for one of the two korners I missed because of computer problems this week; would have been the Christmas Karen's Korner !)

"Little known facts about Christmas" is someting I found on the internet.

Here are a couple of them:

** Gospel writers Mark, Luke, and John don’t even mention the Three Wise Men. The one who does mention them, Matthew, does not specify how many wise men there were. We came up with the number three.

** Historical accounts reveal the Wise Men and the shepherds visited the Christ child at separate times. There were no warm, sentimental manger scenes as depicted in today’s art.

** The visit of the Wise Men, who were known for their knowledge of astrology, was indirectly responsible for the slaughter of male children under the age of two in Bethlehem.

** The shepherds who came to see the baby Jesus were rough and tough dudes. God decided the announcement of the birth of his son was to be made to societal outcasts who were not permitted even to testify in court proceedings because their word could not be trusted.

** Since Joseph and Mary had not had sex, when he found out the news of Mary’s pregnancy, Joseph could have divorced Mary without any embarrassment to himself or his family. It was Joseph’s dreams that kept him on the Godly path.

** Some three months of her pregnancy Mary stayed with her relative, Elizabeth, who also was expecting a child. John the Baptist and Jesus, therefore, were cousins as well as brothers in the Kingdom of God.

** The manger was no more than a wood feeding trough. Mary laid her son in a manger where animals had slobbered all over as they ate their food. Surely Joseph or perhaps the innkeeper had cleaned up this special manger.

** The Gospel writers do not tell us Mary’s age. Some speculate she could have been as young as 12. Please tell me not! But it could have been. It’s another scandal amid the larger scandal of the birth, life, death, and resurrection scandal.

** Jesus was probably not born in December, but we do not know for sure. We know for sure more about the time of year when he died than when he was born. December 25 was a man-made date.

** Maybe this would be a good day or time of year, to take down the Bible and re-read the three accounts of the birth of Jesus. Maybe it will help us to get our facts straight and our faith renewed.
 
(Luke 1:28 - 2:20; Matthews 1:18 - 2:23; and John 1:1 - 14.)
 
~~~
 
Thought for the day:  Jesus made his home with us that we might choose to make our home with Him forever!
 
PRAYER:  "Father God, thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus! And for making each of our days merry and bright!"

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