My family and I watched the The Nativity Story last night. It was an enjoyable movie to watch as we continue to reflect on the birth of Jesus.
Interesting Note: Long before Oscar Isaac was playing Poe Dameron in the latest Star Wars Trilogy, he played Joseph - earthly father of Jesus.
One thing that I have noticed over the years is that movies and books that address matters of faith often exercise creative license in order to expand a particular storyline. The Nativity, running at 101 minutes, contains dialogue and events that are not described in the Bible.
These creative "what if" moments help the viewer:
- think through what a day in the life of Mary might have really looked like
- imagine how Joseph must have felt when he fiancee tells him she is pregnant but has never "been with a man"
- understand how challenging the roughly hundred-mile journey would have been for the couple as they traveled through a rather treacherous part of the world
- dive into the mind of the paranoid King Herod
When I think of creative licenses taken by book writers and movie producers, I am not terribly concerned about the "what ifs" that are not specifically mentioned in the Bible.
I am, however, more concerned about details that are added that contradict what is spoken in Scripture. I feel the same way about all movies/books, even ones not related to faith, that blatantly add misleading and/or contradictory information.
One possible concern that I saw in The Nativity (as well as most other movies and books about Christ's birth) is the arrival of the Wisemen. There is an ongoing debate about how many Magi showed up that day (I tend to believe that there were more than three), but in this post, I want to talk about the timing of the arrival of the Wisemen - the men from the East.
Most books and movies indicate that the arrival of the Wisemen happens immediately after the birth of Christ, but I want to set up and argument that their arrival occurred at least months later and perhaps a year or more later.
There are two keys chapters that lead me to this conclusion: Luke 2 and Matthew 2
Luke 2 - Key Events
- The decree about the Roman census. (verse 1)
- Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem. (verse 4-5)
- Jesus is born. (verse 6-7)
- Shepherds visit. (verse 8-20)
- After the time for the purification rites (typically 40 days), Jesus is circumcised and Mary and Joseph offer the "poor person's" sacrifice as they consecrate Jesus to God. This takes place in Jerusalem, about 5 miles from Bethlehem. (verse 22-24)
Mathew 2 - Key Events
- Sometime after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Wisemen show up in Jerusalem asking about the "new King." (verse 1-2)
- This worries King Herod. He asks that the Magi report back the location of the child. (verse 3-9)
- The Wisemen entered a house to see the child. They offer the child gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (verse 10-11)
- Joseph is warned in a dream to take his family to Eygpt. King Herod orders that all boys in Bethelem (two years old and under be killed). (verse 13-18)
Making some connections
- The Wisemen entered a house (not a manger), and they saw the child (not the baby)
- It seems to me as if Joseph and Mary did not have access to gold, gold, frankincense, and myrrh before Jesus was consecrated; otherwise, they should have offered a lamb instead of two birds.
- King Herod is extremely thorough in his attempt to eradicate all male children. If Jesus had just been born, then there was no need to kill such a broad age of children. Having said that, paranoid kings have been known to go overboard on unnecessary killings.
Conclusion
I will be the first to admit that my understanding of these events could be totally wrong, but it is my desire to make sure that I have built my argument on the original sources of the events, not a modern-day retelling of the event.
I want to hear from you.
- Have you ever questioned the timing of the arrival of the Wisemen?
- Do you have any concerns or questions about my explanation?
Thanks for stopping by!
@SumatraNate