Merry Christmas 2024 from the Wingfield and Francy “Clan”

Merry Christmas 2024 from the Wingfield and Francy “Clan”

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— INTERESTING INSERT ADDED EARLY ON 12/24/24 —
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A very special friend (a YouTube reactor who goes by the name of “Bemusing Bill”) who lives in New York, just sent me a beautiful note on his Patreon page, where I’m a member, after he received the link to this article that I had sent him. Bill (physically) cares for both his mother-in-law and his wife, who have major disabilities.

His comment to me about that (on Patreon) was, “Thank you Linda! It’s strange to me -and I say this with a grain of salt because is it really strange after all?- that this topic has been a running ‘theme’ in my life lately. The same time you sent me this I was watching mass on YouTube with my mother in law, since she can’t leave the house and the pastor was talking about the same thing!”

“12.22.2024: Advent 4 – The Imperfect Christmas Story of the MESSiah (Luke 2) – Rev Jason Elder”

Here’s the link to the YouTube video that Bill sent me, marked at the place where the sermon starts. I think you will find it quite interesting and a bit startling, as Bill found THIS article, after hearing the sermon! You could watch it NOW, or you could wait until you read this article. Either way, it works. — LINK —

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— NOW BACK TO MY ARTICLE —
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This article is partially-based on the following Original Song by Jaxon Maverick Phoenix, which was posted on YouTube on 12/03/2024.
When Heaven Touched The Hay
(Jesus’ Birth from the animals perspective)
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(Click on the Video Thumbnail Below, to Watch the MUSIC VIDEO.)
The lyrics and the Copyright Information and Permissions-For-Use
are listed at the end of this article.

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It’s also Partially-Based on and Interpreted from an Online Article,
written by Dr. Michael LeFebvre on 12/07/2021, which is called:
“Jesus Was Probably Born in a Relative’s House, Not an Inn”
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(Click HERE, to read the full original article online.)

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NOTE: More than likely, according to Dr. Michael LeFebvre’s studies (and several articles by others which I’ve recently read, as well), Jesus was born at the house of one of Joseph’s relatives. The info I’m providing here only uses the BASICS of Dr. LeFebvre’s written commentary (which has plenty of agreement from others, since he released the article in 2021).

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Many people have been under the impression that Jesus was born in a stable that was probably owned by the innkeeper of an inn in Bethlehem. It has also been widely assumed that the stable was full of animals, which were probably owned by the innkeeper, but not by any other people than Joseph and Mary, at the actual time of the birth of Jesus.

However, a careful reading of the biblical account within its historical context (supported by other textual and archaeological evidence) points to Jesus NOT being born in a community stable–alone with the animals, Mary, and Joseph. Instead, He was probably born in a fairly small, private home, which was already crowded with people (due to the forced taxation that was occurring).

Yes, inns and other types of rentable lodgings existed during the First Century. The Romans, for instance, built extensive road systems (you’ve probably heard the old saying, “All roads lead to Rome”), and inns were an integral part of that highway infrastructure. The Roman inns, however, were typically only found along highways between major cities, where travelers could stop and stay in order to meet their refreshment needs during their journeys.

However, when travelers reached a small city like Bethlehem, they typically sought local hospitality (as has been illustrated by biblical journals supplied by Paul). When rental space was needed in a smaller town that wasn’t part of the Roman’s network, an “upper room” of a house or business could usually be hired—as Jesus did in Jerusalem for the “Last Supper” (see Luke 22:12).

It’s not likely, then, that travelers like Mary and Joseph (who were not particularly well-to-do) would look for an inn (even if one HAD existed inside the town), when they arrived in Bethlehem. More than likely, they would have looked for lodging with close friends or relatives, especially since they were traveling to Bethlehem during the census “because Joseph was of the house and lineage of David” (see Luke 2:4). That means that Joseph did have relatives in Bethlehem, since it was his family’s native town. Therefore, Mary and Joseph would probably not have sought lodging in an inn or other community place of lodging, rather than staying with family for a short time.

Though the early English translations of Luke 2:7 do mention “an inn,” the translation was not correct. The original Greek word ”kataluma” was NOT the Greek word that would have been used for “inn.”

Those early English translations of Luke 2:7 tell us that Mary “wrapped [the baby Jesus] in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the “kataluma”–referring to that word as “the inn.” Again, though, that was NOT the Greek word’s true meaning.

Instead, the normal Greek term for an “inn” would have been the word “pandocheion.” Later in his biblical statements, Luke did mention a “pandocheion” in the parable of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:25–37). In that story, a Samaritan traveler discovered a wounded Jewish man lying by a highway. According to Luke, the Samaritan set the wounded man on his own animal, and took him to an inn (a pandocheion), in order to get him cared for (see Luke 10:34).

The mention of the inn’s presence, in that scripture, shows that Luke DID understand the Greek term for an inn (pandocheion). He also obviously recognized that the inn’s typical locations were along highways, between cities. However, he did NOT use that term in his story of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem. Instead, he purposefully and correctly used the term “kataluma,” which refers to the “lodging space” inside a typical home. That error was simply an incorrect translation.

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Further support for the type of situation facing Mary and Joseph, can be seen in other areas of the book of Luke. According to him, angels reported news of the birth to shepherds in the surrounding fields. The shepherds were told by those angels (who evidently sang the message to them) that the baby who had been born in Bethlehem that very night was “…the Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (see Luke 2:11). Accordingly, the shepherds hastened into the city to find the child. When he was located, the shepherds made known to the family members staying there, what the angels had told them. Everyone in the household at that time would have naturally been amazed and filled with wonder, because of what the shepherds told them” (see Luke 2:17–18).

Luke’s phrasing supports the indication that there were a lot more people than just Mary and Joseph in the house that night. According to him, the shepherds’ report began immediately, when they saw the child. Nowhere in the narrative did Luke suggest that the shepherds left the nativity (birth) scene, to knock on OTHER doors and wake OTHER families to tell them about the child. The “all” that Luke mentioned seems to indicate only the other lodgers at the home (all who would have been in some way connected to the owners of the home, and thus the lineage of David) when the shepherds arrived there. It had to have been a crowded house–not a lonely stable.

Most of the English-speaking translators of Luke’s narrative were probably not aware of the practice of lodging animals and installing a manger (feed trough) inside a family’s function space. Furthermore, Luke’s mention of a manger, obviously prompted assumptions that the event had to have occurred in a full-blown, probably commercially-owned, stable.

Textual and archaeological evidence, though, helps us to better envision the setting for Jesus’s birth, as a house crowded with aunts, uncles, cousins, and other distant relatives from Joseph’s family, who were also a part of the lineage of David, who had traveled to Bethlehem to pay the government-required taxes at that particular time.

For us to know these differences in perspective, shouldn’t change our view of WHO Jesus is, or WHY He was born the way He was, or WHERE. However, the correct perspective highlights the fact that Jesus was actually received into our human world, by many people who would have already known of the prophecies from long before the actual event, and who began to recognize The Messiah that very night. It also helps to explain how the story spread so fast, once those taxpayers had “done their duty,” and traveled back to their homes in various other towns.

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SO…what would a typical home in Bethlehem
have looked like at that point in time?

The usual design has generally become known as a “pillared house” or a “four-room house.” Many variations occurred, but the general pattern was fairly consistent among period houses in the area. Here are a few illustrations (mostly of ruins).

Basically, in two-story houses, a ladder would lead from the lower level, up to the main space on the upper floor. The upper area was where the family generally ate and slept, which was called the “lodging space,” or “kataluma,” in Greek. The bottom floor was divided similarly, but it was used for things like cooking, laundering, and often sheltering the animals owned by the residents of the home. It was usually called the “function space.”

NOTE: In my Minecraft screenshots that are coming up, you’ll see that I put the kitchen in the “lodging space,” rather than the “function space.” The house I built was pretty small. It still gives the idea about the communal type of living that was common in First Century Bethlehem.

When Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem and probably sought lodging with Joseph’s relatives, more than likely the household they chose was already nearly full of the usual residents, plus at least a few of the outlying family members who had also reached the town as census-payers. In that case, there would have been no extra “lodging space” (kataluma) available. Therefore they, and perhaps some of the other relatives, were given permission to stay in the function rooms, at street level, for as long as necessary.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, in this case) the function rooms were generally where the household goats, sheep, and probably other animals owned by the residents, were housed (at least at night).

I’ve looked through hundreds of different photos and drawings of the possible arrangements for the bottom floors of those old residences, and none of them show exactly the same arrangements, though the basics are similar. Obviously, each family would have made use of their household spaces in slightly different ways, depending on their own needs and preferences, and even on how many animals they might have owned.

Most of those households did not have the luxury of a special, separate structure just for animals. Professional shepherds probably rented the community sheep pens outside of the town, but most simple households inside the city just kept a few sheep, goats, cows, and/or chickens, which would have provided food and clothing, down the line.

Because of this, inside the lower area of the house, there also would be a feeding trough (generally referred to as a manger) and a watering trough. I’ve seen conflicting information about exactly where those implements would be kept, but it’s generally indicated that they were in the function rooms.

In the house where Mary and Joseph lodged that night, the lodging space (kataluma) on the upper floor was evidently already full. That compelled them (and perhaps some of the other relatives, as well) to stay downstairs in the function area at night. With no space to lay the baby who was born under those conditions, Myriam (Mary) would more than likely have very gratefully placed Jesus in the hay- or straw-filled manger that had already been placed conveniently in that area.

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The connection between Jaxon’s song “When Heaven Touched the Hay,” comes from the fact that every type of animal mentioned in his song, could very well have been on that lower floor where Joseph, Mary, and the brand new Baby Jesus were being temporarily lodged that night.

Since animals were created on Earth before mankind was created, and they are sentient, they would have probably known instinctively, who “The Word” (Jesus) was (see John 1). They also absolutely would have known that “The Word” was their own creator, since there would have been NOTHING created that WAS created, without Jesus speaking the Words of the Father, and making it all happen. That knowledge, more than likely, would have been innate in the animals abiding in that particular function space that night.

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On that “note” (grin) here are the lyrics (and the copyright permission that is necessary for me to use them here (which also has been personally issued to me) that Jaxon has provided for his original song:

When Heaven Touched the Hay
(Jesus’ Birth from the animals’ perspective)
BY: Jaxon Maverick Phoenix

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: This video and our YouTube channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are the property of Jaxon Maverick Phoenix. You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to our YouTube channel is provided.

ALL MELODIES, BEATS, TRACKS, LYRICS, MUSIC, AND IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED AND I OWN SOLE RIGHTS TO ALL MENTIONED ABOVE. Property of Jaxon Phoenix aka Jaxon Maverick Phoenix aka Jaxon Phoenix Records Property of Jaxon Phoenix aka Jaxon Maverick Phoenix aka Jaxon Phoenix Records.

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LYRICS
(Remember – the animals are reporting these things!)

Verse 1
The night was calm, the stars were bright,
A chill hung low in the stable that night.
I stood in the hay, my breath in the air,
When the world changed forever, right there.

Pre-Chorus #1
I saw the mother’s gentle hands,
And the father’s steady, humble stance.
But oh, the wonder in the glow,
When Heaven touched Earth down below.

Chorus
Heaven came down in the simplest place,
LOVE in a manger, a gift of grace.
The hope of the world in a child so small,
The SAVIOR is born, the LORD of all.

Verse 2
The sheep stood still, the rooster crowed,
The donkey knelt where the baby was swaddled.
Even the doves cooed soft and low,
As peace filled the world in the stable’s glow.

Pre-Chorus #2
The angels sang a song so sweet,
It drifted down to where we meet.
In humble silence, we took our place,
To witness the birth of amazing grace.

Chorus
Heaven came down in the simplest place,
LOVE in a manger, a gift of grace.
The hope of the world in a child so small,
The Savior is born, the Lord of all.

Bridge
No palace walls, no royal crown,
Just simple straw and love all around.
The PRINCE OF PEACE, so small, so near,
In the stable’s heart, the world drew near.

Chorus
Heaven came down in the simplest place,
LOVE in a manger, a gift of grace.
The hope of the world in a child so small,
The SAVIOR is born, the LORD of all.

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NOTE: I had thought that I would simply post a picture that I’d planned to draw, from photos of ruins from the Bethlehem area, or from other drawings that have been made over the years. I searched carefully, but couldn’t find many that I really wanted to draw, mostly because the ones that I could find really didn’t fit with the descriptions I had read about, or mentioned here.

I did find a few, but they would have been more difficult to draw than I wanted to deal with, and the details in most of them were just not great.

SO, instead, I decided to go into my Minecraft game, and BUILD a house that contains the elements that I’ve mentioned above. Interestingly, as I entered the New World I had made, I murmured to the Lord, “It would be really helpful if I could actually find a Village pretty close to where I spawn.” As I finished that murmured thought, the game opened up into the newly-created map, and the very first thing I saw was a really cute little Village, right in front of me! I don’t think that has EVER happened to me before!

It had lots of space in which to build, so I went into Creative mode and started building right away, using the “mud bricks” that have been in the game for a while, now. Once I got the two-story building with an accessible roof built, furnished, and completed, I lured a couple of Villagers inside the complex, to see how they liked it. I didn’t try to make a crowd, but the two little guys you’ll see in the photos at the end of the article, cooperated pretty well, and one of them actually became a chef, because I had placed a “smoker” in the (upstairs) kitchen area. At least you can get an idea of the basic plan for one of those old homes in Bethlehem, even if I didn’t necessarily put my imaginary rooms in the “right” places. 🥰

The thumbnails are small, but each one can be clicked on,
in order to open a new tab with the full-size photo.

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Though scriptures were referred to in regard to this article, none were published in it, so there are no copyright notices necessary in that regard.
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Also, since the article that was originally written by Dr. Lefebvre was only referred to, and not quoted, there are no copyright notices necessary.
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“Songs of Hope and Joy” (My YouTube Playlist)
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My Grandma’s Got Grace YouTube Channel
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Powerful Prayers (Listed on My Website)
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